Rebuilding The Renaissance

This episode examines two of the largest and most beautiful works of Early Renaissance sculpture in Florence, Italy - the Cantorie, or "choir lofts" in the Museo Dell'Opera del Duomo. Designed and carved respectively by Luca Della Robbia and Donatello, each work is a visual celebration of song and music.

This episode analyzes the mathematics involved in the creation of the first perspectival painting in history. Learn how geometry and algebra were not only part of the construction of the three-dimensional space, but also a surprising way to illustrate important theological doctrines.

This episode will discuss what might just be the most important painting in Florence - Masaccio's Holy Trinity in the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy. Learn how this fresco, which was the first in history to apply linear perspective, was lost in the 16th Century when the church was "Renaissanced" by Giorgio Vasari and then rediscovered in the 19h Century.

This is the second part of my two-part episode about Brunelleschi and the construction of the dome of Florence cathedral. Learn how the great architect out-smarted his competitors, won the contract for and then realized the world's largest dome in only 16 years. Then discover the secrets of how Brunelleschi was able to pull off such an extraordinary engineering feat!

This episode examines the history leading up to the construction of Brunelleschi's great cupola. From the structural design of the tribunes, to the decision to add a drum, to the dilemma of wooden centering, what happened before Brunelleschi began building determined much of what he would need to do in order to build the world's largest dome.

From Donatello's non-existent competition panel, to my favorite work of art by Michelangelo, to laser beams in art, this episode answers the very questions that you asked me about the great art of the Italian Renaissance.

This episode is the second part of a two-part episode about the Brancacci Chapel in Florence, Italy. It examines the paintings inside of the Brancacci Chapel and discusses the authorship of each, and those attributes that made Masaccio one of the most revolutionary painters in history.

This episode explores the history and several key paintings of the revolutionary Brancacci Chapel in the church of Santa Maria Del Carmine in Florence, Italy. There is no better place in the world in which to illustrate the evolution of late Gothic to Early Renaissance than this chapel. It was here that the young genius named Masaccio introduced what today we define as Renaissance painting.

In part 2 of my conversation with best-selling author Ross King, we discuss one of his later works entitled Leonardo and the Last Supper, as well as his upcoming publication The Bookseller of Florence, about famous Renaissance book merchant Vespasiano da Bisticci.

This episode is the first of a two-part interview with best-selling author Ross King, author of Brunelleschi's Dome, Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling and other works addressing Renaissance subject matter.

This episode examines the construction history and architecture of the first Renaissance-style church ever built - the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence, Italy - which was designed by the great Filippo Brunelleschi. From modular systems, to the use of classical architectural vocabulary, to harmony and proportion, Brunelleschi made the old new again when he designed the church that ushered in the Renaissance of architecture.

This episode examines the first Renaissance-style interior space ever built, which is known as the "Old Sacristy" in San Lorenzo in Florence. Designed by the great Filippo Brunelleschi, the revolutionary space also served as the funerary chapel of the patriarch of the Medici family - Giovanni Di Bicci.

This episode examines the names and meanings of various Classical architectural structures and elements that were employed by Renaissance architects from Brunelleschi to Michelangelo.

This episode is the second part of my interview with celebrated Hollywood actor Dr. Peter Weller, where we discuss the subject of his doctorate, Italian food, and his acting career. Find out how the Renaissance man still finds time for acting and directing!

This episode is the first of a two-part interview with the famous actor Peter Weller, who has starred in over 70 films and television programs, but who also holds a doctorate in Renaissance art history. Find out how Robocop became a veritable Renaissance man.

This episode examines the early part of Brunelleschi's career and his first major architectural project. His revival of a Classical architectural vocabulary and logic revolutionized architecture in the late medieval European world, and would establish this new style as the foundation for Italian architecture for centuries after.

This episode explores how Donatello revolutionized sculpture in the early 15th century by using three of his most famous works to illustrate his new visual language of naturalism.

This episode explores the history and architecture of Venice's most important thoroughfare and its surrounding churches and palaces, as well as one of the world's most celebrated bridges - the Rialto - that has spanned the Grand Canal for nearly the last 1,000 years.

This episode examines the history, architecture and importance of Italy's most unique church. An example of Italo-Byzantine architecture, St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy, was built primarily to house the relics of the evangelist and to serve as the private chapel of the Doge. The result was a stunning and eclectic mix of styles and materials.

This episode answers our third round of general questions. From dinner with historical personages, to my favorite restaurants and dishes in Italy, to saving Venice and its art, all the way down to how much "Leonardo" there is in the "Salvator Mundi" painting, hear me voice your questions and then provide you with answers.

This episode examines Donatello's sculptural representation of the St. George subject for the Sword and Armor Guild at the church of Orsanmichele, although both sculpture and niche are in the Bargello Museum today. Not only was this first sculpture of the Renaissance to depict a subject in a narrative context, it also largely inspired Michelangelo's David nearly a century later.

This episode examines Donatello's seminal heroic interpretation of the "David" subject in sculpture. Removed from its original context at the Duomo and inserted into a civic setting at the Palazzo Vecchio, the statue became the symbol of divine protection for the Florentine Republic.

This episode examines the statues that were produced by the likes of Arnolfo Di Cambio, Nanni Di Banco and Donatello and adorned the original facade of Florence cathedral. These extraordinary statues reflect the transition from the International Gothic to the Early Renaissance style.

This episode explores the history of the world's most unique city and the organization of the longest lasting republic of all time. From the original refugees who settled on the islands in the ancient world, to the theft of the body of St. Mark, to the formation of a "perfect government", to the evolution of the Venetian Scuola, we shall examine those key factors that transformed a bunch of marshy islands into La Serenissima.

This episode explores the paintings in the Uffizi Gallery collection that best embody the principles of that style that marks the transition between the Gothic and Renaissance worlds, known as the "International Gothic Style." This style combines the elegance and elaborateness of Gothic art with the more naturalistic and spontaneous motifs of the Early Renaissance.

This episode examines the "North Doors" of Florence Baptistry that were produced by Lorenzo Ghiberti between 1403-1423 as a result of the famous competition of 1401 won by the same artist. The same International Gothic Style attributes that characterize Ghiberti's earlier competition panel, and which were the very reason that he won the competition, are prevalent throughout the 28 panels that make up these North Doors as well.

This episode examines the event that sparked the Renaissance - the famous competition between Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi in 1401 for the contract for a set of bronze doors of Florence Baptistry. These two Renaissance giants produced bronze relief panels depicting the Old Testament subject of the sacrifice of Isaac in radically different ways, and the result of the competition determined the professional path that each artist would follow.

This episode will answer many of the questions proposed by my listeners. From how the frescoes on the dome of Florence cathedral were executed, to how the artist Caravaggio died, to the Kenneth Clark vs. John Berger controversy - and much more - I respond directly to your very own questions.

This episode examines the beautiful pictorial decorations in the 14th-century Strozzi Chapel in Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy by the brothers Andrea (better known as "Orcagna") and Nardo di Cione. Almost perfectly preserved after eight centuries, the chapel also offers the extraordinary opportunity to see just exactly how these ecclesiastical spaces were used in their own day.

This episode examines the sometimes violent, often bizarre, and always fascinating representations of saints and martyrs in Italian medieval and Renaissance art. From St. Sebastian's arrows to St. Lucy's eyeballs to St. Lawrence's barbecue grill, we shall discuss saint imagery and its symbolism.

This episode examines Nicola Pisano's great sculptural pulpit in the cathedral in Siena, Italy. Carved five years after his pulpit in Pisa Baptistry, this work is much more Gothic in style, reflecting its highly decorative architectural surroundings. Yet, Pisano's work is still full of innovation and invention as he strived to modernize medieval sculpture by introducing drama, movement, naturalism and emotion.

This episode examines the medieval paintings in the extraordinary collection of paintings in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. Works by Giotto, Simone Martini and Ambrogio Lorenzetti exemplify the move towards naturalism in this proto-Renaissance moment.

This milestone episode celebrates the production of my 50th episode by telling you more about who I am, what I do, why I do it and I how I got there from both a personal and professional perspective.

This holiday episode explores the history and traditions of the world's most popular holiday - Christmas! From St. Nick to Jesus' infancy to candy canes, we discuss how both pagan and Christian traditions magically coalesced into the holiday that we celebrate today.

This episode explores the history and examines the architecture of one of the most unique churches of medieval Europe. Consecrated in 1018 CE, the thousand-year-old Romanesque church of San Miniato in Florence, Italy houses an eclectic mix of artistic styles inside of a distinctly mysterious and mystical atmosphere.

This episode examines one of the most extraordinary sculptures of the Middle Ages. Nicola Pisano revolutionized sculpture in the 13th century by introducing drama, psychology, classical motifs, anatomy and movement. Although few works exist by the great sculptor, he would inspire later masters such as Donatello and Michelangelo.

This episode explores the great Romanesque architectural monuments of the Tuscan city of Pisa. From its majestic marble cathedral, to its elegant circular baptistry, to what I like to call the greatest architectural disaster since Babylon – the leaning tower, Pisa is home to some of the greatest architecture of the Middle Ages.

This episode will examine the breathtaking mosaics that decorate the ceiling of Florence Baptistry. Epic in scale and subject matter, and excruciatingly meticulous in execution, the mosaics represent one of the greatest works of art of medieval Europe and may have inspired both Dante and Michelangelo.

This episode explores the history and architecture of what is, in local tradition, the most important monument in Florence, Italy. Nearly a millennium old, the Romanesque building has always been the heart of Florentine society and tradition.

This episode will answer the questions posed by various listeners on our social media platforms. From what sparked my own interest in the Renaissance, to whether Giotto or Michelangelo was more influential in shaping Renaissance art, all the way to Michelangelo's sexuality, no question is left unanswered.

This episode will examine the technique of bronze sculpture. From the making of the initial model, to the casting of the bronze, all the way down to the signature patination of the sculpture by the artist, discover just went into the production of the metal masterpieces.

This episode examines the sculptural medium of marble and how artists worked the stone. From the quarries of Carrara to the various tools used by the sculptor, we discover just what goes into producing a sculptural masterpiece in marble.

This episode examines the extraordinary collection of statues on the outside of the church of Orsanmichele in Florence, Italy. Produced by some of the greatest artists of the Renaissance, such as Donatello, Ghiberti and Verrocchio, each statue reflects the changing artistic styles of the day as well as the socio–economic importance of their guild patrons.

This episode recounts the history behind the medieval–grain–market–turned–church of Orsanmichele in Florence, Italy. The building has always reflected the bustling commercial character of the city, first as a marketplace for grain and then as its official guild church.

This episode explores the history and evolution of one of the world's most famous bridges – the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy. From ancient Roman times through to today, the bridge has served as a means of passage between the banks of the Arno river, as well a thriving commercial centre for various types of professions.

This episode examines the beautiful fresco decoration inside of the Spanish Chapel in the convent of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy. These paintings are not only prime examples of art produced in the wake of the Black Death, but they also testify to how the Dominicans effectively used art as a didactic instrument.

This episode examines the history and patronage of one of the great medieval churches of Florence: Santa Maria Novella. The seat of the Dominican Order in Florence, the rather severe style of the art in this church reflects the orthodox philosophy of this particular religious order. Perhaps the most spectacular of the decorative spaces in this church is its chapter house, known as the Spanish Chapel.

This episode examines one of the most sinister and violent fresco cycles of the Middle Ages in the cathedral or "Collegiata" of the Tuscan town of San Gimignano. Attributed to a mysterious artist named Barna Da Siena, the frescoes are often used as an example of a "post-Black Death style" of painting.

This episode examines the consequences of the Black Death on medieval European society. From religion, to economics, to art, the Black Death would forever change Europe and in many ways prepare the way for the coming of the Renaissance.

This episode addresses one of the greatest natural calamities in human history - the Black Death. This "mother of all plagues" wiped out 1/3 of Europe's population over just a couple of years and left an indelible mark upon western society.