Renaissance

FUN FACTS ABOUT MICHELANGELO The famous painter, architect, and sculptor, Michelangelo Buonarroti, is a great artist of the Italian Renaissance period. Unfortunately, the artist spent most of his time in Rome and passed away at 88. His work reflected intensity, pragmatism, and psychological perception. And probably, for this reason, he received commissions from wealthy, powerful […]

THE PORTRAIT OF POPE JULIUS II BY RAFFAELLO: ANALYSIS AND CURIOSITIES There are two versions of Raphael’s portrait of Julius II. The first is currently in London and was painted in 1511, while the second is in Italy, dated around 1512 and is kept in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. In this post, I describe […]

WHO WAS RAFFAELLO’S YOUNG WOMAN AND WHERE TO SEE HER TODAY Who was actually Raphael’s young woman (La Muta) and why did the artist correct the work several times? This portrait has sparked scholarly speculation, prompted investigations in the archives and fuelled many stories, but still has not unravelled its mysteries. We know almost nothing […]

DANIELE DA VOLTERRA AND MICHELANGELO’S BRONZE PORTRAITS Daniele Ricciarelli, known as Daniele da Volterra (1509 – 1566), was a friend and pupil of Michelangelo Buonarroti and was present at the master’s death in his Roman home on 18 February 1564. By virtue of this bond between the pupil and his master, Leonardo Buonarroti, Michelangelo’s nephew, […]

THE WORKS OF DONATELLO, SYMBOL OF THE RENAISSANCE Donatello’s works made a profound mark on art in the 15th century, becoming a point of reference for entire generations of artists. His fame as a sculptor and architect spread from Tuscany to the Veneto, from the Marches to Rome and Naples, comparable only to the greats […]

TITIAN’S WOMEN: THE FEMALE PORTRAIT IN SIXTEENTH-CENTURY VENICE Titian’s women appear sensual and elegant. In his numerous portraits, they seem to belong to the more affluent strata of society and appear strong and confident. Was this really the case? In 16th-century Venice, the image of women took on a role that had never been seen […]

THE MADONNA LIA AND THE STUDENTS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI The Madonna Lia, painted by Francesco Napolitano, is part of a group of works executed in Leonardo da Vinci’s Milanese workshop at the end of the 15th century, during the years when Leonardo was engaged in numerous assignments at the Sforza court. Here is what […]

DEPOSITION BY RAPHAEL, ALSO KNOWN AS BORGHESE ENTOMBMENT: DESCRIPTION AND CURIOUS FACTS The Deposition by Raphael is one of the artist’s early masterpieces, painted before he moved to Rome, at the court of Pope Julius II, and before many other masterpieces such as the Madonna of the Chair or the Fornarina. In this post you’ll discover details and curious facts […]

ANNUNCIATION BY LEONARDO: ANALYSIS AND CURIOUS FACTS To Leonardo painting is a mental act, a way to understand reality and nature. In Annunciation by Leonardo, painted when the artist was probably in his early twenties, you can already see its interest in nature and curiosity about phenomena of the world that Renaissance man was trying to […]

The theme of the Pietà has been depicted by many artists, but one has always impressed me in a particular way, the Pietà by Titian. It’s a painting executed by the great Venetian artist who, as required, depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Christ. However, in the work appear other figures, among […]

LIFE AND WORKS OF CATHARINA VAN HEMESSEN, A FLEMISH FEMALE PAINTER Catharina van Hemessen is the first Flemish female painter whose life and works are known. Her story and works, together with those of many other female artists, make us rewrite a piece of art history where women played an important role, not only as muses […]

PORTRAIT OF A MAN IN A RED TURBAN BY VAN EYCK: DESCRIPTION AND CURIOUS FACTS Who is the man in the painting Portrait of a Man in a Red Turban by van Eyck and why is he wearing a red turban? This painting is shrouded in mystery, like other van Eyck’s works and all his life. According to […]

THE MARRIAGE OF THE VIRGIN BY RAPHAEL: ANALYSIS AND MEANING What is the meaning of The Marriage of the Virgin by Raphael and why is it important to know it? This painting marks the final part of Raphael’s early period and the beginning of his artistic maturity. Here is what you need to know Analysis and meaning of […]

THE ARNOLFINI PORTRAIT: CURIOUS FACTS, DESCRIPTION AND WHERE TO ADMIRE THE PAINTING What story and what mysteries are hidden in the Arnolfini Portrait? It’s one of Jan van Eyck’s masterpieces, and it’s certainly one of my favourite, because it’s extremely complex and full of symbolic meanings. I might spend hours looking at it! In this […]

LA VELATA BY RAPHAEL: WHO THE WOMAN LOVED BY RAPHAEL WAS AND WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE PAINTING Who was the Velata by Raphael and why did he portray her? Is it true that she was the woman loved by the artist? There are many theories about the identity of the Velata by Raphael but only one […]

LA FORNARINA BY RAPHAEL: WHO SHE WAS AND WHERE TO ADMIRE THE PAINTING Which story does la Fornarina by Raphael tell and who is the young woman made immortal by this painting? Stories of any kind have circulated about this painting and for this reason this work has become legendary. We don’t know almost anything […]

MADONNA OF THE CHAIR BY RAPHAEL: CURIOUS FACTS AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PAINTING In the Madonna of the Chair Raphael describes one of the most delicate and tender scenes of all his artistic production. It seems that this painting emanates an infinite tenderness that I could hardly resist when I was in front of it and I exchanged […]

DAVID BY DONATELLO: 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE SCULPTURE AND WHERE IT IS HOUSED What does it come to your mind if I talk about David by Donatello? Some people think immediately of the famous Italian film award; other people, instead, think of the bronze statue by Donatello. In this post you’ll find 5 […]

THE VIRGIN AND CHILD WITH CANON VAN DER PAELE BY VAN EYCK: 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT A MASTERPIECE The Virgin and Child with Canon van der Paele is one of the largest and most famous masterpieces by Jan van Eyck. In terms of size it is second only to the Adoration of the Mystic […]

RAPHAEL ROOMS: 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE ROOM OF THE SIGNATURA Have you ever seen Raphael Rooms? If you happened to be in front of the fresco “The School of Athens” or the “Deliverance of Saint Peter”, I am certain that you remained open-mouthed and looked upwards for a long time. It happened to […]