This episode will introduce Leonardo’s famous work. From its location, to the rather complicated process of making arrangements to see it, to its poor state of conservation, discover the surprising reality behind one of the most famous paintings in the …
This episode examines one of the most famous drawings in the world – Leonardo’s “Vitruvian Man.” From the meaning of the subject, to those artists who influenced Leonardo, to how the drawing has come to symbolize the historical period known …
This podcast examines one of Leonardo da Vinci’s most celebrated portraits, the subject of which was Cecilia Gallerani, mistress of Ludovico Sforza. In this beautiful portrait, today located in Krakow, Poland, Leonardo introduced further innovations to the genre of Italian …
Duke Ludovico Sforza’s principal motivation for bringing Leonardo to Milan was most likely Leonardo’s experience in working with bronze. The duke was hoping to apply Leonardo’s experience and talent to the realization of a colossal equestrian monument in honor of …
From the disproportions in Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus,” to the origins of the name “Colosseum,” to the original decoration on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great …
This podcast examines the exquisite Flemish masterpiece which was painted for a prominent Italian patron. Located in the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy, the “Portinari Altarpiece” exhibits all those aspects typical of the early Flemish Renaissance period, but with an …
This podcast examines one of the most important paintings of the early Renaissance: the “Madonna of the Egg” also known as the “Montefeltro” or “Brera Altarpiece” by Piero della Francesca. Painted between 1472-74, the painting was most likely commissioned to …
In 1459, Pope Pius II transformed the provincial town of his birth, Corsignano, into an ideal Renaissance urban town and renamed it after himself – Pienza. His architect, Bernardo Rossellino, was a follower of Leon Battista Alberti, and applied both …
This podcast explores the architecture and history of one of the largest family palaces in Florence, built for the illustrious Strozzi family. After nearly a half-century of exile for their failed attempt at exiling the Medici, the fabulously wealthy banker …
This podcast examines the architecture, authorship, and history of one of Florence’s most important early Renaissance family palaces. Perhaps the most classically inspired of the 15th-century palaces in the city, the Rucellai Palace is a true Renaissance architectural gem. …