In a mirror making factory in Venice, anthropologist and historian Alan Macfarlane reflects on how mirrors contributed to the making of the modern world of the Renaissance and individualism. Although
other civilizations had mirrors made of bronze or other metals (or people simply looked in water to see
themselves), they did not show the clear and "realistic" view you see in fine glass mirrors, which were
originally made in Venice, where the Renaissance began. These mirrors certainly played a big role in
changing the world of science and art. He tells how the use of mirrors led to a new look of realism in
painting, which you see suddenly flowering in Renaissance art at that time.