Late Renaissance Art and the History of Florence

Course description

The city of Florence, Italy, is home to some of Western civilization’s greatest works of art and architecture. Let’s travel through the centuries to discover Late Renaissance masterpieces by Florence’s prided painters, sculptors, inventors, and theorists – from Leonardo da Vinci to Michelangelo.

Characterized in part by a shift from naturalism to symbolism, the art of the Late Renaissance took new forms and further socio-political significance. By the early 16th century, the Mannerist style became popular in Italy, along with the notion of the artist as a genius.

Follow the series of narrated slides detailing a selection of Late Renaissance and Mannerist artworks, their historical context, and their creators. Test your knowledge with online quizzes, and share your own Renaissance-inspired artworks or ideas in the public forum.

Course structure

This course is the continuation of the course “Early Renaissance Art and the History of Florence“, each course is self-standing.

Topic 1: Raphael

• Distinctions between early and late Renaissance art
• Symbolism and Neoplatonist philosophy in painting

Topic 2: Leonardo da Vinci

• The intersection of science and art
• Invention and experimentation in drawing and painting

Topic 3: Michelangelo

• Vasari’s favorite artist
• The non-finito technique in sculpture

Topic 4: Mannerism in Florence

• A selection of Mannerist paintings by: Jacopo Pontormo, Rosso Fiorentino, Agnolo Bronzino
• A selection of Mannerist sculptures by: Benvenuto Cellini, Giambologna