Who was the primary audience for Renaissance artworks during their creation?

The primary audience for Renaissance artworks largely consisted of contemporary audiences observing religious rituals. During the Renaissance, a significant number of artworks were created as religious pieces to be displayed in churches and public spaces, where they would be seen by worshippers and participants in religious ceremonies. These works aimed to inspire faith and convey biblical stories to a populace that often had limited access to literacy, thus relying on visual representation for education and spiritual guidance.

Unlike commissions driven primarily by royal families or art collectors, which certainly played a role in the art market, the emphasis on religious themes meant that the average viewer interacting with these artworks was typically embedded in a community setting, engaging with the pieces during rituals. This context not only provided a direct connection between the art and the viewers but also served to reinforce the themes of piety, morality, and communal identity—a core focus of Renaissance artistic expression.