The High Renaissance did not last that long in the grand scheme of things. Leonardo da Vinci began producing his important works in the 1480s, so most art historians agree that the 1480s were the start of the High Renaissance. Raphael died in 1520. One could argue that either Raphael's death or the Sack of Rome, in 1527, marked the end of the High Renaissance. No matter how it's figured, though, the High Renaissance was of no more than forty years in duration.