Rebuilding The Renaissance

From the evolution of Romanesque to Renaissance architecture, to urban tabernacles in Florence, to the identity of the apostles in Leonardo's "Last Supper," to Michelangelo's boxer nose, to Lorenzo Ghiberti potentially being insane - and much, much more - this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists and history of the Italian Renaissance.

Commissioned in 1516, four years before Raphael's premature death at the age of 37, by Cardinal Giulio de' Medici, the "Transfiguration" was Raphael's last great altarpiece. The painting is a sort of summation of Raphael's artistic evolution, and not only synthesizes the artistic styles of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, but is also a harbinger of the Tenebrist style of Caravaggio nearly a century later.

This episode continues to explore the extraordinary painting decorations of Rome's seminal Renaissance suburban villa. From the zodiacal images that represent the patron's horoscope, to Sebastiano del Piombo's "Polyphemus," to one of Raphael's most beautiful paintings known as "The Galatea', and, finally, to the virtual-reality-like Hall of Perspectives, the extensive fresco decoration of the villa makes it one of the most impressive decorative complexes in the world.

The Villa Farnesina was the first Renaissance pleasure palace and belonged to the fabulously wealthy banker Agostino Chigi. The decorations of the palace delighted many a pope and international ruler. On one occasion, dinner was served on golden tableware that guests were invited to throw into the Tiber upon completing their meal. This episode explores the history and architecture of this extraordinary decorative complex; and how the erotic nature of the art clearly reflected the type of activity that took place within its walls.

The last of the apartments decorated by Raphael for Popes Julius II and Leo X was the Room of the Fire in the Borgo, painted between 1514-1517. Although largely executed by Raphael's student and friend Giulio Romano, the frescoes represent Raphael's mature period and were completed only 3 years before the artist's premature death in 1520. This episode will examine the style, iconography and history of the paintings in this extraordinary room with particular emphasis given to the homonymous fresco.

In 1511, after completing the decoration of the Stanza della Segnatura, Raphael began painting the walls of Pope Julius' private audience room. Named after its principal scene - The Expulsion of Heliodorus - the room contains four of Raphael's most beautiful paintings. This episode will explore the style, iconography and meaning of Raphael's paintings in the Room of Heliodorus.

This is the final episode of a three-part series dedicated to Raphael's great fresco in the Vatican Museums. It addresses the extraordinary Classically-inspired architectural setting of the painting, as well as identifying the celebrated philosophical and scientific personages depicted. Lastly, this episode dismisses the conspiracy theory that the fresco is reflective of a failed plot on the part of Bramante and Raphael to humiliate Michelangelo.

This episode explores the decorative context of Raphael's famous fresco. From Apollo on Mt. Parnassus, to the allegorical figures of the cardinal virtues, the extraordinary "Disputa", the paintings around the "School of Athens" are fundamental to its meaning.

Although Raphael's fresco known as the "School of Athens" is the most celebrated painting of the Stanza della Segnatura, it is actually a part of a much larger program. This episode addresses the original function of the room, which was Pope Julius II's library, and how all of Raphael's paintings are in actuality part of a giant visual card catalog.

This episode examines the extraordinary career of one of the most important painters in history – Raphael Sanzio da Urbino – better known simply as "Raphael." Along with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, Raphael heralded in the period known as the High Renaissance. Combining grace, elegance and beauty, Raphael defined the standard for idealized painting.

From unfinished church facades, to postponed Palios, to Renaissance giraffes, to Mona Lisa's smile, to the building behind the Trevi Fountain - and much, much more - this episode answers the very questions that you asked me about the great art, artists and history of the Italian Renaissance.

The prophets and sibyls that flank the main scenes of the Sistine Chapel ceiling are some of Michelangelo's most impressive figures. Their dramatic poses, expressive, vibrant colors and powerful forms are both inspirational and frightening. Below and between them, Michelangelo filled the spandrels and lunettes with human caricatures, almost as if he were entertaining himself with the often comic and strange figures. This podcast examines these lesser discussed parts of the Sistine Chapel ceiling paintings, as well as the decade-long-controversial restoration of the ceiling.

The last three Genesis scenes of the Sistine Chapel ceiling demonstrate Michelangelo's extraordinary ability to represent complex subjects in incredibly effective ways. But they also reveal the divine artist's haste to complete the ceiling project. This episode closely examines the iconography, style and execution of these final frescoes and their role in the realization of the epic commission.

By the time Michelangelo reached the frescoes in the middle of the ceiling, he introduced a major stylistic change, due, most likely, to being able to see the frescoes from the ground. This episode examines the Adam and Eve scenes and how they reflect this stylistic change as well as revealing the major artistic influences on Michelangelo's paintings. Particular emphasis will be given to one of history's most famous paintings - The Creation of Man.

Painting an 8,000 sq. ft. fresco cycle onto the ceiling of a chapel must have been a daunting task even for an artist of the caliber of Michelangelo. This episode examines the process and order by which Michelangelo executed his frescoes, focusing specifically on the first three painted scenes that depict the stories of Noah and the corresponding prophet and sibyl figures.

Although the Sistine Chapel is the Catholic world's most important chapel since it hosts papal conclaves, the subject matter of the ceiling paintings is largely Old Testament mixed with pagan imagery. This episode unpacks the rich and complex iconography of the many paintings executed by Michelangelo on the Sistine Chapel ceiling in Vatican City.

When Michelangelo signed the contract with Pope Julius II in 1508 to paint the Sistine Chapel Ceiling, little did he know the turmoil that awaited him. This first of several podcasts dedicated to the world's most famous ceiling will examine the circumstances behind the contract between artist and pope, and the initial steps taken by Michelangelo for the project.

After 120 years of construction, the reign of 18 different popes, and the direction of 12 different architects, St. Peter's Basilica was finally consecrated in 1626. Measuring more than two football fields in length, it was by far the largest church in Christendom, and a fitting monument to the burial place of the first pope. This episode explores the dramatic construction history of the great church and the architectural contributions of its various architects.

When Michelangelo was called to Rome in 1506 by the Pope Julius II, it was to design and carve the mother of all tombs. Intended to stand four stories in height and directly over the tomb of St. Peter, and to accommodate 40 over-life-sized statues, it was a direct reflection of both the pope's megalomaniacal tendencies and the artist's overreaching ambition. The Sistine ceiling was the first of a series of interruptions to a project whose contract would be reworked three more times over nearly four decades of legal battles between the rock-star artist and the exasperated heirs of Pope Julius II. This podcast explores the history of this epic contractual contest that resulted in what Michelangelo's earliest biographer described as "the tragedy of the tomb."

Titian's two great altarpieces in the great Franciscan basilica of Venice known as the "Frari" marked a turning point in the artist's career. These were his first two public commissions and allowed all of Venice to appreciate the extraordinary talent of a young artist who was still only in his twenties. This episode explores the history, style, and patronage of the two great paintings and how they clearly demonstrate Titan's unique approach to painting.

This episode examines one of the milestone masterpieces of Renaissance painting. Baffling art historians for centuries as regards its iconography, the early work by Titian is one of the treasures of the Borghese Gallery.

Notwithstanding that his life and artistic career were cut short by plague in 1510 while the artist was in his thirties, Giorgione revolutionized European painting by his introduction of enigmatic and unconventional iconography. This episode examines two of Giorgione's most important paintings, both of which are located in the Accademia Gallery in Venice.

Carpaccio's extraordinary visual narrative of the life of St. Ursula is one of the most celebrated examples of cyclical Venetian Renaissance painting. Recently restored, the nine large canvases are now on display in the Accademia Gallery of Venice and present a vivid snapshot of life in Venice at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. This podcast will examine the entirety of the cycle and analyze the artistic style of one of the major artistic protagonists of the Venetian Renaissance.

At the end of the 15th century, large-scale-cyclical-narrative paintings became quite popular in Renaissance Venice. One of these cycles illustrates in spectacular fashion the legends of the relic of the True Cross that was owned by the Scuola Grande of St. John the Evangelist. This episode examines the three most important paintings of this cycle, which were executed by two of Venice's most important painters.

This episode examines the first great Venetian painting of the Renaissance. Although the Venetian school of painting appeared almost a full century after that of Florence, the extraordinary genius of Venetian painters such as Giovanni Bellini rapidly made it the major rival of central Italian Renaissance painting.

From Botticelli and the Bonfires of the Vanities, to the extraordinary collection of artists' portraits and self-portraits in the Uffizi Gallleries, to the use of AI in art authentication, to Botticelli's $92M "Portrait of a Young Man with a Medal," to the Virgin Mary's thoughts in Michelangelo's Pietà, this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists and history of the Italian Renaissance.

This episode examines the only painting by Michelangelo in Florence, and one of only two finished paintings executed by the artist before he decorated the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. In many ways the vibrant, expressive colors and sculptural plasticity of the figures in this painting anticipated the revolutionary style of the Sistine ceiling a few years later.

In 1504, Florence found its two greatest artists in the city at the same time. Not wanting to miss this rare opportunity to have them test their talents against each other, massive murals were commissioned from each in the great hall of Florence's Palazzo Vecchio. This second part of a 2-part podcast will explore what we know about the great murals planned by both artists and that portion that was actually executed by Leonardo da Vinci. Finally, we shall discuss the search for the lost Leonardo that still continues today.

In 1504, Florence found its two greatest artists in the city at the same time. Not wanting to miss this rare opportunity to have them test their talents against each other, massive murals were commissioned from each in the great hall of Florence's Palazzo Vecchio. This first of a two-part series will examine the historical context of the commission and the subject matter of the paintings.

When Leonardo began painting the portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of the wealthy cloth merchant Francesco del Giocondo, in 1503, little did he know just how much employment he would generate for future art historians. From theories concerning her enigmatic smile, to the painting being a self-portrait of Leonardo in drag, to her possibly being pregnant, just about everything that could possibly have been written about the Mona Lisa seems to have been written about her. In addition to analyzing the formal aspects of the painting, this episode also examines just why the painting is so famous.

This episode is the third and final part of a three-part podcast on the world's most celebrated statue. From the lack of Goliath's head, to the sling and hard-to-see stone in David's hands, to the expressive body language of the statue, this podcast will examine the unique iconography and local civic value of The David.

This episode is the second of a three-part podcast on the world's most celebrated statue. From the original contract drawn up in 1463 - 12 years before Michelangelo was even born! - to Michelangelo's sculptural inheritance and eventual triumphant completion of the statue, to the city-wide commission convened to decide what to do with the great statue, this podcast will examine the history of the commission of The David.

This episode is the first of three-part podcast on the world's most celebrated statue. From its original location in Piazza della Signoria, to its move in the 19th century to a newly built museum, to the centuries of erosion and damage that the sculpture has suffered, this podcast examines the provenance of the statue and its state of conservation.

The Pietà was Michelangelo's first "number one hit." At the ripe old age of 23, he produced one of the greatest statues of all time. The innocence, sensitivity, and technical virtuosity of this particular early work would never be achieved again in Michelangelo's entire 72-year career. This podcast explores the imagery, meaning and tradition of the "Pietà" subject in art and why Michelangelo's statue is the most famous interpretation of the subject.

Michelangelo arrived in Rome for the first time in 1496 at the age of 21. His first important patron was the fabulously wealthy Cardinal Riario who wanted the young sculptor to carve a statue of the Roman god of wine that he could pass off as an antique. Surprisingly, Riario did not accept the finished sculpture which ended up in the collection of another patron. This episode explores the history, iconography and importance of Michelangelo's earliest-known sculpture commission and why it may have indeed been rejected by its original patron.

From contemporary theories about Brunelleschi's dome, to Ghirlandaio's frescoes in Santa Trinita, to the abandoned design of semi-circular chapels on the outside of Santo Spirito, to Bernini's extraordinary early sculpture of Aeneas, this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists and history of the Italian Renaissance.

This episode explores two of Michelangelo's earliest known sculptures that were produced while the teenage sculptor was still part of the Medici household. The sculptures reflect the influence of Donatello on a young Michelangelo, but also the later sculptor's obsession with the male nude form.

Michelangelo Buonarroti's artistic career spanned more than seven decades, during which time he produced some of the most extraordinary works of art in human history. This episode will examine the early years of the artist from his birth through his apprenticeship to his earliest teachers and his sojourn in the home of Lorenzo "il Magnifico" de' Medici.

This episode explores the extraordinary collection of Italian Renaissance paintings in Milan's most important painting museum, which houses masterpieces by Caravaggio, Raphael, Piero Della Francesca, Tintoretto, Bellini and Mantegna.

This episode addresses the world's most expensive painting that sold for nearly a half billion dollars in 2017. Although the attribution to Leonardo da Vinci is not certain, the astonishing cost, murky provenance and uncertain current location of the painting have made it one of the most famous works of art in history.

This episode examines one of the most unique decorative programs in history. A room in the Sforza Castle in Milan whose walls and vault are covered with illusionistic trees that form a natural pergola. We also discuss how Leonardo's expression of arboreal architecture has been brought back to life with the help of modern technology.

This is the second of a two-part episode on Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" which is considered the first work of the High Renaissance. From the meticulously constructed linear perspective, to the theatrical gestures of the apostles, to the singular dramatic moment that Leonardo almost seemed to "capture" rather than "depict," we shall examine all aspects of one of the most extraordinary paintings in history.

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 world.

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 as the Renaissance, we shall unpack the extraordinary image that put humanity back at the center of the universe.

This episode 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 portraiture particularly by figuring out how to bring the portrait to life.

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 his father Francesco Sforza. This episode examines the complex 20-year history of this never-realized monument.

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 art, artists and history of the Italian Renaissance.

This episode 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 Italian twist to suit the patron's tastes.

This episode examines one of the most important paintings of the early Renaissance, which is also known as the Montefeltro or Brera Altarpiece. Painted between 1472-74, the painting was most likely commissioned to celebrate the birth of the son of the Duke of Urbino, and displays an extraordinary precision as regards the architecture and sublimely beautiful figures.

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 medieval and classical architectural principles to his design. This episode explores the history and architecture of this exquisite and charming example of Renaissance urbanism.