Renaissance in Poland late 18th century. The period of Polish Renaissance, supportive of intellectual pursuits, produced many outstanding artists and scientists. Among them were Nicolaus Copernicus who in his "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" presented the heliocentric theory of the universe, Maciej of Miechów, author of "Tractatus de duabus Sarmatis..." – the most accurate up to date geographical and ethnographical account of Eastern Europe; Bernard Wapowski, a cartographer whose maps of that region appeared in Ptolemy's "Geography"; Marcin Kromer who in his "De origine et rebus gestis Polonorum libri..." described both the history and geography of Poland; Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski, a philosopher concerned with
Nicolas Dipre and "Gideon's Fleece," which illustrates the Old Testament story of Gideon, who called on the people of Israel to be their judge. He doubted his own abilities, by the Lord fulfilled his request. Nicolas Dipre Nicolas Dipre (sometimes also Nicolas d'Amiens, Nicolas d'Ypres, "fl." c. 1495-1532) was a French early Renaissance painter. Among the Avignon artists of the late 15th and early 16th century, the name Nicola Dipre is among the most famous. Nicolas Dipre was born in Paris and probably came from a family of artists. The first written record of his existence dates from 1495 when he lived