1500 CE - 1527 CE. The High Renaissance, epitomized by figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, represented the peak of artistic achievement in Europe. The period was marked by masterworks that fused humanist philosophy with religious and mythological imagery, setting the standard for Western art for centuries.Mythological themes from Greco-Roman traditions remained prevalent, with gods, goddesses, and allegorical creatures frequently depicted in art. This era solidified the cultural importance of myth as a tool for understanding human nature, morality, and the divine.