The Renaissance of the 14th–17th centuries was, and forever will be, one of the most pivotal periods in the development of Western art. Its roots spread wide and deep, and much social and intellectual revitalisation had begun before this revered time, but the renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman texts and the development of expanding trade, which brought greater wealth, meant that classical and humanist thought combined with lavish patronage resulted in major breakthroughs across all spheres of human endeavour – art, architecture, music, literature, science, philosophy and more. And, while it spread across Europe, it was Italy that was to be its crucible. With 2020 marking the 500th anniversary of the death of Raphael – one of the stars of the Renaissance – this sumptuous book celebrates the prolific output of this era. From the radical perspective of Giotto di Bondone (1267–1337), breaking out of the Middles Ages, to the giants of the High Renaissance: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael, and many more, the reader will delight in the fascinating insights offered by the text accompanied by lush reproductions. AUTHOR: Peter Crack wrote his PhD thesis on the collecting and reception of Italian Renaissance art in Britain at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. He has lectured on the Renaissance at the Victoria and Albert Museum and published articles and reviews in the field of art history in The British Art Journal, Apollo and Master Drawings. 150 illustrations