Final answer:
Art patronage during the Renaissance evolved from being dominated by influential families like the Medici to involving a wider range of patrons including the middle class and aristocracy, compelled by a variety of social, economic, and political factors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Changes in Patronage from Early to Late Renaissance
The transformation of art patronage during the Renaissance was significant and multifaceted. In the early Renaissance, the wealthy Medici family of Florence played a crucial role in advocating and funding the arts, helping to ignite the cultural revolution in Italy. The Medici's financial support of artists led to some of the era's most renowned art pieces, as they sponsored prominent figures such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti.
By the late 15th century, the patronage landscape had evolved. With the fall of Constantinople, an influx of Greek scholars and their classical knowledge to Italy influenced artistic direction. Moreover, a rising class of professional playwrights and actors found support among the aristocracy, who used cultural patronage as a status symbol. The political changes of the time, particularly the weakening of monarchies and the Church's influence allowed a burgeoning middle class to become prominent art patrons.
This new class, having accumulated wealth from trade and the expansion of the market economy, sought to manifest its prosperity and national pride through art purchases.
The shift to a market economy and social mobility in Europe played a part in advancing patronage. Notably, the public commissioning of sculptures became a common practice, signifying the importance of public art in the civic life of Italian city centers. The hunger for art was not only seen in public spaces but also in private homes, as individuals from various socioeconomic backgrounds desired to own art as an expression of personal worth and taste.