The Renaissance in Italy: 1500s

When you think of the Renaissance, the names that come to mind are probably the artists of this period (the High Renaissance): Leonardo and Michelangelo, for instance. And when you think of the greatest work of art in the western world, Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling might come to mind. This is a period of big, ambitious projects. Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling, Leonardo’s Last Supper, and Raphael’s Stanza frescos shape our understanding of Western culture even today.

medici porcelain grid — The powerful Medici family of Florence tried—and failed—to make true Chinese porcelain in the 16th century.

Medici porcelain, a failed experiment

This altarpiece lacks setting and symbols, but it’s hardly empty. Moving figures fill the space.

Jacopo Pontormo, Entombment (or Deposition from the ...

Titian, detail of Venus of Urbino, 1538, oil on canvas, 119.20 x 165.50 cm (Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence) — The female nude emerged as a genre in the Renaissance.

Titian, Venus of Urbino

Michelangelo, Creation of Adam, ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (detail), 1508-12, Vatican, Rome — He was mythologized by followers, emulated by artists, celebrated by humanists, and patronized by a total of nine popes.

Who was Michelangelo?

Raphael’s untimely death at the age of 37 while at the height of his visual powers only solidified the legend of his extraordinary talent.

Raphael, an introduction

A brief introduction to famous African rulers and their impact on medieval and Renaissance European culture

Images of African Kingship, Real and Imagined

Explore the complex power dynamics of images of the female body in the Renaissance

Sex, Power, and Violence in the Renaissance ...

Perugino, Madonna and Child with Sts Laurence, Louis of Toulouse, Ercolanus and Constance (Decemviri Altarpiece), 1495–96, tempera on wood, 193 x 165 cm (Vatican Museums) — Perugino was more than just the teacher of Raphael.

Perugino, Decemviri Altarpiece

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.

Introduction to gender in renaissance Italy

From seductive centerfolds to noble savages, images of the naked human body played a complex and sometimes troubling role in European culture.

Confronting power and violence in the renaissance ...

German Synagogue, founded 1528, Venice — The first Ghetto, Jews in Renaissance Venice

Three synagogues in the Venetian Ghetto

Giorgione, The Tempest, c. 1506-8 (Accademia) - detail — In the distance, lightning strikes. What does it mean? Poetic and evocative, this painting invites interpretation.

Giorgione, The Tempest

In history classes, we often hear about renaissance men: Cosimo de’ Medici, Leonardo da Vinci, and Niccolò Machiavelli. Where were the women?

Renaissance woman: Isabella d’Este

After Columbus landed on Hispaniola in 1492, items from the Americas were shipped to Europe where they were perceived as exotic items of wonder and fascination.

The Medici collect the Americas

Titian, Two portraits of Pietro Aretino — Two portraits capture the ambition and impudence of Titian's close friend and publicist.

Titian, two portraits of Pietro Aretino

Mona Lisa - HENI Talks — Such a tease! This ambiguous portrait plays psychological and optical games with the viewer.

Leonardo, The Mona Lisa

From military machines to playful cats, Leonardo’s extraordinary drawings capture his incessant curiosity.

Leonardo and his drawings

Night and day, rough and polish—this chapel embodies opposition and traps the viewer in a moment of transition.

Michelangelo, Medici Chapel (New Sacristy)

Giambologna, Abduction of a Sabine Woman, 1581-83, marble, 410 cm high (Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence) — With a complex, multi-figure composition, this monumental sculpture captures a moment from ancient Roman history.

Giambologna, Abduction of a Sabine Woman

Sofonisba Anguissola, Self-Portrait at the Easel, 1556, oil on canvas, 66 x 57 cm (Łańcut Castle) — Female painters were rare in sixteenth-century Italy. In self-portraits, Sofonisba made sure to appear virtuous.

Sofonisba Anguissola