Who Shaped the Renaissance? — The Path of Artistic Revival from the Perspective of Patrons' Social Roles

During the Renaissance, literary and artistic creation reached its peak level, fostering literature and artists represented by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and others, and creating classic works that will be remembered for generations to come. However, the works of this period could not have achieved such splendour without the contribution of patrons. These patrons provided funding and shelter for artists, so many artists travelled to Rome to exchange ideas and produce a large number of works of art, while patrons were able to enhance their political status and increase their social influence through patronage. Together they propelled the Renaissance to greatness. Taking the Renaissance as the research background, this paper takes patrons as the research object. Firstly, according to the social status of patrons in this period, they are classified into three categories, the church, the nobility and the guilds. Secondly, the psychological activities of the patrons and their potential purposes and motives are analysed through specific examples of patronage. Finally, the influences that patrons brought to literary and artistic works are explored. This paper aims to reveal the central role of the patronage system in the cultural ecology of the Renaissance and to provide a new perspective for understanding the interaction between art and social structures.