The High Renaissance was the peak of the Renaissance period in European history and the visual arts, particularly in Italy. This High Renaissance art, which flourished for years, beginning in the 1960s when Rome was sacked by imperial troops, revolves around three towering figures: Leonardo da Vinci 1452-1519, Three Great Masters - Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael - dominated the period known as the High Renaissance, which lasted roughly, Renaissance Art: History, Characteristics and Examples. The Renaissance was a period of great social and cultural change in Europe. From the late 14th century to the late 16th century, artists explored new techniques to create a style of realistic painting known today as Renaissance art.Article. There were three main painting techniques during the Renaissance: fresco, tempera and oil. In all of these techniques, color was an important element in the painter's arsenal, allowing him to create images that would strike a chord and elicit a sigh of admiration from the viewer. Although many artists were gifted in all fields, the Renaissance is perhaps best known for its works of art: the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo's "David," as well as the Mona Lisa and Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci have undoubtedly shaped the course of art.