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During the era known by this name, Europe emerged from the economic stagnation of the Middle Ages and experienced a time of financial growth. Also, and most importantly, the Renaissance was an age in which artistic, social, scientific, and political thought turned in new directions. This late medieval cultural movement in European civilization brought renewed interest in classical learning and values. The Renaissance began in Italy during the late 13th century and widely spread throughout Europe, finally ending in the 17th century. Inspired by the works of ancient Greece and Rome, Renaissance artists produced paintings and sculptures based upon the observation of the visible world and practiced according to mathematical principles of balance, harmony, and human perspective. These new aesthetics found expression in the works of such Italian artists as Leonardo da Vinc