What are the main features of humanism?

The Italian city-states and the idea of humanism played
important roles in the Renaissance.  The work of the artists, writers and architects
that were sponsored by wealthy ruling families reflected the ideas of humanism.  At the
end of the Middle Ages, Italian towns grew into wealthy independent city-states,
governing themselves and the surrounding country.  Spurred by overseas trade, these city
states began to grow and huge fortunes were made by Italian merchants and bankers.
Wealthy families, such as the de Medicis of Florence, began to rule these city states. 
The independence of these city states allowed these rulers to experiment in government
and in the world of ideas.  The wealth of these ruling families allowed them to sponsor
artists and writers and pay for statues and new
buildings.

Humanists took an interest in the classical
writing and admired the classical culture of ancient Greeks and Romans and stressed the
importance of the individual. It emphasized classical learning and human potential and
achievements. These beliefs had a strong influence on Renaissance art.  Artists began to
make their paintings more realistic through the use of perspective, making them appear 3
dimensional as opposed to the 2 dimensional artwork of previous times.  Religion was an
important subject in Renaissance art just as it was in the Middle Ages.  But with the
ideas of humanism, religious subjects were portrayed as realistic and human and did not
convey a spiritual ideal like Medieval artists.  The emphasis on individual human
achievement was also portrayed in Renaissance art.  Renaissance artists painted
realistic portraits which showed the distinct character of the individual.  The human
body was glorified by artists such as Michelangelo, emphasizing the individual and the
potential of the human person and reflecting the ideals of classical Greek and Roman
art.