1400–1600
Beginner's guide
Start with these introductions to Italian Renaissance art
videos + essays
A-level: Botticelli, Portrait of a Man with a Medal of Cosimo il Vecchio de’ Medici
Touch an artwork? Sandro Botticelli’s Portrait of a Man with a Medal helped viewers to think about touch and physical experience.
A-level: Introduction to gender in renaissance Italy
Throughout Europe women’s relegation to the domestic sphere was rooted in Christian tradition that placed blame for humanity’s fall from grace upon Eve, the first woman.
A-Level: Sample set of works for the Renaissance in Italy
You don’t have to brave the crowds in Florence or Rome to see Renaissance art—the best view is often online.
A-level: Toward the High Renaissance, an introduction
Proficient in anatomy and perspective, artists aimed at complex poses, ideal beauty—and spiritual transcendence.
A-level: How to recognize Italian Renaissance art
Look for a revival of classical forms, increasingly precise anatomy, naturalistic movement, and convincing space.
A-level: Florence in the Early Renaissance
The city-state of Florence distributed political power, celebrated individualism, and invested in civic monuments.
A-level: The many meanings of Michelangelo’s David
Location, location, location. Meant for the cathedral, David presided over a public square—and now stands inside.
A-level: Michelangelo, Medici Chapel (New Sacristy)
Night and day, rough and polish—this chapel embodies opposition and traps the viewer in a moment of transition.
A-level: Michelangelo, Studies for the Libyan Sibyl (recto); Studies for the Libyan Sibyl and a small Sketch for a Seated Figure (verso)
Michelangelo transforms a male model into a female figure. Discover the artist’s working process.
A-level: Michelangelo, David
Where’s Goliath? David scans for his enemy. This colossal sculpture is itself a giant of High Renaissance art.
