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Plautilla Nelli, The Last Supper
A Dominican nun, Plautilla Nelli mirrors the environment of her convent’s refectory in The Last Supper.
Rachel Ruysch, Fruit and Insects
No wonder Ruysch treats each element of this still life like a scientific specimen—her father preserved insects.
Filippo Brunelleschi, Pazzi Chapel
A central dome dominates this space, while greyish-green stone articulates its perfect geometry.
A chapel for Eleonora di Toledo, Duchess of Florence
Entering the private chapel of Eleanora of Toledo, Duchess of Florence is like stepping into a jeweled box.
Verrocchio, David with the Head of Goliath
Verrocchio's David, sculpted only a couple decades after Donatello's version, is more real than idealized
Benozzo Gozzoli, The Medici Palace Chapel frescoes
The intimate Magi Chapel still dazzles its visitors with its vividly painted frescoes and gold leaf that show the three Magi and members of the Medici family—and more
The Ponte Vecchio (“Old Bridge”) in Florence
The Ponte Vecchio is one of few surviving medieval urbanized bridges in all of Europe.
Donatello, David
His nudity references classical antiquity, but David embodies the ideals and concerns of 15th-century Florence.
Fra Angelico, The Annunciation
The life-sized figures of Mary and Gabriel occupy an open porch—a space not unlike the cloisters of San Marco.
Filippo Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti, Sacrifice of Isaac
Brunelleschi’s panel may be scarier, but Ghiberti’s is more emotionally complex. In both, an angel saves the day.
Michelangelo, The Prisoners
Michelangelo left many sculptures unfinished, but perhaps none are more beautiful than The Prisoners.
Andrea della Robbia’s bambini at the Ospedale degli Innocenti, Florence
In the five centuries since they were installed, Andrea della Robbia's sculptures of children have become a widely recognized symbol of the Innocenti hospital and of childhood itself
