▁sense ▁of ▁three - dimensional ity . ▁He ▁employed ▁n udes ▁and ▁for esh orten ings ▁in ▁his ▁figures . ▁This ▁had ▁s eld om ▁been ▁done ▁before ▁him . ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁Mas ac cio ▁is ▁a ▁hum orous ▁version ▁of ▁Mas o ▁( short ▁for ▁T omm aso ), ▁meaning ▁" cl ums y " ▁or ▁" mess y " ▁Tom . ▁The ▁name ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁created ▁to ▁distinguish ▁him ▁from ▁his ▁principal ▁collabor ator , ▁also ▁called ▁Mas o , ▁who ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁Mas ol ino ▁(" l ittle / del icate ▁Tom "). ▁ ▁Despite ▁his ▁brief ▁career , ▁he ▁had ▁a ▁prof ound ▁influence ▁on ▁other ▁artists ▁and ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁have ▁started ▁the ▁Early ▁Italian ▁Renaissance ▁in ▁painting ▁with ▁his ▁works ▁in ▁the ▁mid - ▁and ▁late - 1 4 2 0 s . ▁He ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁use ▁linear ▁perspective ▁in ▁his ▁painting , ▁employ ing ▁techniques ▁such ▁as ▁van ishing ▁point ▁in ▁art ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁He ▁moved ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁International ▁Goth ic ▁style ▁and ▁elaborate ▁orn ament ation ▁of ▁artists ▁like ▁Gent ile ▁da ▁Fab ri ano ▁to ▁a ▁more ▁natural istic ▁mode ▁that ▁employed ▁perspective ▁and ▁ch iar osc uro ▁for ▁greater ▁real ism . ▁ ▁Mas ac cio ▁died ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁twenty - six ▁and ▁little ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁the ▁exact ▁circumstances ▁of ▁his ▁death . ▁Upon ▁hearing ▁of ▁Mas ac cio ’ s ▁death , ▁Fil ipp o ▁Brun