阅读理解。
Mention the terms Italian Culture and Renaissance Art and one is immediately reminded of the mysterious smile of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
The renaissance period had a deep effect on European culture development. Having its beginnings in Italy, by the 16th century, it had spread to the rest of Europe. Its influence was felt in different fields such as philosophy, literature, religion, science, politics, and, of course, art. The scholars of the renaissance period applied the humanist method in every field of study, and wanted human emotion and realism in art.
Renaissance scholars studied the ancient Latin and Greek texts, searching the monastic(修道院的)libraries of Europe for works of ancient times that had become obscure, in their hunt for improving and perfecting their worldly knowledge. This was completely different from the religion that Christianity(基督教)stressed. However, that does not mean that they refused Christianity. In fact, much of the greatest works of the renaissance period was devoted to it, with the church supporting a lot of the works of renaissance art. However, there were slight changes in the manner in which the scholars began to treat religion, which affected the cultural life of the society, which in turn influenced the artists of that period and therefore was reflected in their art.
