Renaissance

ART IN THE 16TH CENTURY: RENAISSANCE AND MANNERISM Understanding art in the 16th century means dealing with great artists of Western art, those personalities who have influenced following artists and who, still today, are a model or a reference point. Have you understood who I’m talking about? After the post dedicated to Art in the 15th […]

MICHELANGELO’ S PIETÀ: 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE VATICAN PIETÀ If I think of Saint Peter’s Basilica, the first work of art that comes to my mind is Michelangelo’s Pietà. What about you? It is impossible for you to enter St. Peter’s Basilica and not to notice one of Michelangelo’s masterpieces, the most poetic […]

15TH CENTURY ART: EARLY RENAISSANCE  Studying the evolution of the 15th century art is amazing. Then, if you think that it’s at the end of the 15th century, precisely in 1492, that the most significant event of this wonderful century occurred, that is the Discovery of America, then you’ll understand that creativity and ingenuity are the […]

I’ve often been before the Self-Portrait by Raphael, never in the city housing it (Florence) but always on the occasion of exhibitions of various kinds. This self-portrait is charming and Raphael’s look is the sweetest you can imagine. In this post I’ll analyze the work and describe this painting, also thanks to some curiosities, but I’ll […]

WORKS BY LEONARDO: WHICH THEY ARE AND WHERE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WORKS ARE HOUSED The fascination of Leonardo’s masterpieces, famous and beautiful works, makes everybody agree. In the collective imagination Leonardo is the universal genius, an architect, a scientist, an artist and an engineer, a precursor of times who has left in total only around 20 paintings. In […]

MEANING OF BOTTICELLI’S PRIMAVERA: DESCRIPTION, CHARACTERS I have wondered many times which the true meaning of Botticelli’s Primavera could be, a work that after hundreds years from its creation still exerts a great fascination on a wide public. After the post the Birth of Venus and Botticelli’s muse it was time to describe the other great masterpiece […]

THE DONI TONDO BY MICHELANGELO: WHERE IT IS HOUSED AND WHAT IT REPRESENTS Admiring for the first time The Doni Tondo by Michelangelo Buonarroti was thrilling. I was at the Uffizi Gallery for the traditional high school trip and when I came across it, I understood that art must be experienced at first hand. You […]

JAN VAN EYCK’S WORKS: 5 THINGS TO KNOW Jan van Eyck’s works and some curiosities about the most influential and mysterious artist Western painting has ever had. The perfection of Jan van Eyck’s works leaves you breathless and his technique is the forerunner of that used by many other great artists who will come after him. In […]

MICHELANGELO’S WORKS. WHICH ONES THEY ARE AND WHERE HIS MOST BEAUTIFUL WORKS ARE HOUSED There are many Michelangelo’s masterpieces, famous and very important works everyone should admire at least once in a lifetime. Because Michelangelo is the Renaissance artist par excellence. In the post Michelangelo Buonarroti: 5 things to know I’ve already described the main features of […]

RAPHAEL, THE LIFE AND THE WORKS: 5 THINGS TO KNOW Raphael’s life was short but totally devoted to art. He was a highly talented artist but he had an aptitude for business, in fact he managed his workshop like a firm hiring dozens of assistants able to create any kind of works. Raphael, life and […]

A MASTERPIECE BY BOTTICELLI AT THE UFFIZI GALLERY: THE CALUMNY OF APELLES There’s a masterpiece by Botticelli at the Uffizi Gallery, next to his famous “Primavera” (“Spring”). It’s a small painting which always runs the risk of passing unnoticed, but if you know it you can’t help but looking at it, because is full of […]

THE LAMENTATION OVER THE DEAD CHRIST BY MANTEGNA: WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE MOST AMAZING ARTWORK OF THE 15TH CENTURY The Lamentation over the Dead Christ is considered one of the most beautiful, intense and moving artworks of the 15th century. We know neither when nor for whom it was painted, but what is certain […]

BOTTICELLI’S BIRTH OF VENUS: 5 THINGS TO KNOW To paint The Birth of Venus Botticelli drew inspiration from the myth about the birth of Venus, who was born out the sea foam in front of the island of Cyprus. To depict the Birth of Venus Botticelli drew inspiration from mythology and literature, creating one of […]

THE VENUS OF URBINO: 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOST SENSUAL PAINTING BY TITIAN The Venus of Urbino is one of the most sensual paintings by Titian. It was one of the most famous paintings of the 16th century, and there were many copies and reproductions over the following centuries. Here are 5 things […]

MICHELANGELO BUONARROTI: 5 THINGS TO KNOW Painter, sculptor, architect, Michelangelo Buonarroti was one of the greatest masters of the Renaissance. His works are among the greatest masterpieces of the history of art, and are characterized by monumental bodies and twisted busts, which mark the surpassing of the idea according to which art has to imitate […]

THE LAST SUPPER BY LEONARDO DA VINCI: 5 THINGS TO KNOW The Last Supper is a work which, together with The Mona Lisa, has entered the collective consciousness, and in fact when you hear about the Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci’s work comes to your mind immediately. But what do we actually know about this […]

MICHELANGELO’S DAVID: WHERE IT IS AND WHO THE HERO REPRESENTED IS Michelangelo’s David is one of the early works by the great Florentine artist, who was only 26 years old when he started working on it, but he was already famous for his unique talent. The work was commissioned by the Opera di Santa Maria […]

THE VITRUVIAN MAN BY LEONARDO DA VINCI: WHY IS IT CALLED THAT? The Vitruvian Man is considered the most perfect example of symmetry, and is one of the most famous drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, the artist of Last Supper. Every time we take a 1 € coin we can admire its perfection, but what is […]

ANDREA PALLADIO: WHO HE WAS AND WHAT HE DID Andrea Palladio was born in Padua in 1508 into a family of humble origins. At the age of almost 13 he began his apprenticeship as a stone cutter in Padua, and then he attended the workshop of the most important sculptors in Vicenza, Giovanni di Giacomo […]

BOTTICELLI’S VENUS: THE BIRTH OF VENUS AND BOTTICELLI’S MUSE Botticelli’s Venus. The days I spent in Florence in January were characterized by rest and relaxation, and those who followed me on Instagram could see what places I visited and what artworks I admired. The most exciting day was the day I dedicated to my visit […]