Plautilla Nelli, The Last Supper

A Dominican nun, Plautilla Nelli mirrors the environment of her convent’s refectory in The Last Supper.

Masaccio, Holy Trinity

This painting blends deep piety with scientific observation. Both its architecture and figures were radically new.

Alberti, Façade of Santa Maria Novella, Florence

Romanesque, Gothic, or ancient Greek? Whether you divide this façade by styles or squares, its stones come alive.

Ghirlandaio, Life of the Virgin

Ghirlandaio writes a wealthy Florentine banking dynasty into the biblical narrative of this fresco cycle.