When you look at medieval paintings, there’s a particular style that isn’t very lifelike but the later you get, the more realistic paintings become. Is this due to better quality tools or a deliberate stylistic choice or a combination of factors?
We get similar questions pretty frequently, so here some previous answers that might be helpful:
Why do animals in Medieval manuscripts look so crazy? Did the painters not know what they looked like? Was it intentional? Did they have a hard time drawing? by u/CoeurdeLionne and sunagainstgold
Why did it take so long for artists to get to grips with perspective? by u/kastdenvaek
Why do professional paintings look photo-realistic in 1700s England yet look so awful 100-150 years earlier? by u/pipkin42
Why did pre-renaissance christian art degrade so much compared to the classical period? by u/Guckfuchs
And plenty more in the FAQ about visual arts