During the Renaissance period (c. 1300-1600) people wanted to further be enlightened by, and to understand, the world around them. Renaissance era scientific advances include: eyeglasses, study of mathematics, study of human anatomy (human body), study of astronomy, and the invention of the printing press.
These advances made it possible to help artists create more realistic work in: eyeglasses assisting an artist who’s vision may not have been strong, mathematics providing a basis for measurement accuracy and correct proportions when creating architecture and realistic art, the study of human anatomy and the environment to create realistic representations of the world around them, the introduction of oil paint and canvas, and the invention of the printing press to distribute artistic ideas and techniques on a mass scale.