The Renaissance achieved its most glorious expression in its paintings, sculpture and architecture. Popes, princes, and other wealthy patrons financed the work of hundreds of artists. The style of Renaissance art was very different from that of the Middle Ages. Medieval art--because the church paid for it--usually focused on religious themes, the church, and God. Medieval art generally appeared to be more abstract than real. Renaissance art, although it sometimes portrayed religious images, tended to glorify the achievements of man. The achievements were often those of the patron (person who paid to have the art done), but they were also the achievements of heroic figures (mythical or Biblical). With the development of new techniques