
The Renaissance in Italy: 1500s

Titian’s portrait of Isabella is pure artifice—but that does not mean that it is not an accurate portrayal of her.

The courts of renaissance Italy glittered with splendor.
The Italian renaissance court artist

Entering the private chapel of Eleanora of Toledo, Duchess of Florence is like stepping into a jeweled box.
A chapel for Eleonora di Toledo, Duchess ...

Verrocchio's David, sculpted only a couple decades after Donatello's version, is more real than idealized
Verrocchio, David with the Head of Goliath

This brief introduction is intended to orient you to some important, basic information as you begin to study Italian renaissance art.
A primer for Italian renaissance art

Michelangelo transforms a male model into a female figure. Discover the artist’s working process.
Michelangelo, Studies for the Libyan Sibyl

Humanism looked to antiquity for inspiration in reforming society and had a tremendous impact on all aspects of life.
Humanism in renaissance Italy

Artists explored new approaches to form inspired by surviving art and architecture from antiquity as well as ancient authors’ discussions of them.
Humanism in Italian renaissance art

Surviving drawings from the 15th and 16th centuries offer the chance to see the evolution of a pictorial idea from infancy to final state.
Preparatory drawing during the Italian renaissance, an ...

Artistic exchanges between Venice and Crete at that time contributed to the formation of an artistic environment unique in the Italian renaissance.
Greek painters in renaissance Venice

The impact of the Council of Trent on Catholicism is indisputable, and similarly on a great deal of art made after it ended
The Council of Trent and the call ...

Michelangelo's art could be tender and lyrical, dwelling upon the inherent tensions of the human condition.
Michelangelo, Taddei Tondo

Michelangelo left many sculptures unfinished, but perhaps none are more beautiful than the slaves.
Unfinished business—Michelangelo and the Pope

The Sack of Rome in 1527 had a long-lasting impact on the cultural and artistic life of papal Rome.
The Sack of Rome in 1527

Cellini's salt cellar was prized as luxury tableware and was also an intellectual conversation starter in renaissance France.
Benvenuto Cellini, Salt Cellar

Sofonisba Anguissola's portraits of the Spanish royal family attest to her skill and fame as a painter.
Sofonisba Anguissola, Infanta Catalina Micaela with a ...

From a live webinar: Dr. Heather Graham on Raphael's Girl with Unicorn
From a live webinar: Dr. Heather Graham ...

Find out how the V&A investigates and analyzes the miniatures in order to understand more about what they were made of, when they were made, and how to conserve them.
Conservation: portrait miniatures

Find out what qualities of watercolor made it the medium of choice for many Renaissance illuminated manuscripts, portrait miniatures and colored drawings
Renaissance Watercolours: materials and techniques

Replicas form a vital component of Michelangelo’s legacy, and they have helped transform him into a global cultural icon