The Renaissance dates from 1350 to 1620 AD. It is a term used to describe a period in European history marked by a gradual shift from the abstract forms of the medieval period to the representational forms of the 15th century. It occurred after the Crisis of the Late Middle Ages and was associated with great social change. They are not flat but suggest mass, and they often occupy a realistic landscape, rather than stand against a gold background as some figures do in the art of the Middle Ages.