Renaissance

Five-Year Photo Project Captures the Sistine Chapel in High-Res Detail

Released in a new set of books, the 1:1 photos will be used by restorers to restore and assess damage to Michaelangelo's masterpieces

A Silk Road Wine Trail Karas Monument at the entrance of Rind Village in Vayots Dzor, Armenia.

Can Ancient Techniques Make Modern Wine Better?

A new generation of wineries are going to painstaking lengths to acquire hundreds of historic clay karases

Although it's possible that Sandro Botticelli threw other works of his on the bonfire, the Birth of Venus thankfully survived.

A Fanatical Monk Inspired 15th-Century Italians to Burn Their Clothes, Makeup and Art

He told Florentines the apocalypse was coming, and to save themselves through self-censorship

Tycho Brahe was extremely wealthy and lived an unusual life that included a pet moose.

Astronomer and Alchemist Tycho Brahe Died Full of Gold

The shiny element was important to Renaissance scientists. Very important

The newly restored "St. John the Baptist," by Leonardo da Vinci.

The Louvre Has Restored "St. John the Baptist"

To clean, or not to clean?

Major Renaissance Painting Restored 50 Years After It Was Covered in Flood Waters

Giorgio Vasari's "Last Supper" was heavily damaged during Florence's 1966 flood. Conservationists finally figured out how to save it

Chalk portrait of Caravaggio Ottavio Leoni, circa 1621

Happy 445th Birthday, Caravaggio

The artist’s gory paintings have captivated art lovers for centuries

"Prudence" (before conservation) Andrea della Robbia (Italian (Florentine), 1435–1525) Ca. 1475 Glazed terracotta Lent by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1921

This Renaissance Sculptor Is Getting His First U.S. Show

Luca della Robbia is finally getting a showcase in the States

Historians Identify 35 Descendants of Leonardo da Vinci

Using historical documents and genealogical detective work, researchers have reconstructed 15 generations of Leonardo's family tree

Judith Beheading Holofernes (1598) by Caravaggio at the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica at Palazzo Barberini, Rome. A recently discovered painting in France thought to be by Caravaggio depicts a similar scene

Multi-Million Dollar Painting Found in Leaky French Attic

Homeowners may have found a lost Caravaggio masterpiece behind a sealed attic door in their home near Toulouse

The Garden of Earthly Delights

Even 500 Years After His Death, Hieronymus Bosch Hasn’t Lost His Appeal

A trip to the painter’s hometown reminds us how his paintings remain frightfully timely

Happy 543rd Birthday, Nicolaus Copernicus

The Renaissance scientist set the stage for modern astronomy

Giovanni Stanchi (Rome c. 1645-1672). Oil on canvas, 38 5/8 x 52½ in.

This Renaissance Painting of Fruit Holds a Modern-Day Science Lesson

Hint: it's in the watermelon

Researchers exhumed the mummy of Cangrande della Scala in 2004 to perform a modern autopsy on the famous Italian autocrat.

Poison Hath Been This Italian Mummy's Untimely End

A lethal helping of foxglove seems to have triggered the downfall of a warlord of Verona

Galileo Demonstrating Telescope

Was Shakespeare Aware of the Scientific Discoveries of His Time?

For his new book, Dan Falk followed a group of scholars who argue, unlike most, that the playwright was up to speed with the latest astronomy

The suspect cockatoo is on the left, perched just above the Virgin's head.

Why Is There a Cockatoo in This Italian Renaissance Painting?

The bird's presence in the painting lends insight into trade between Europe and Australia in the 15th century

The new reflected near-infrared technology (far right) revealed unseen details in frescoes from the Chapel of Theodelinda, near Milan.

New Technology Reveals Invisible Details in Renaissance Art

A team of Italian scientists has uses infrared light to detect artistic flourishes that are invisible to the naked eye

A keen observer as well as celebrated wit, Arcimboldo created composite portraits that were both enjoyed as jokes and taken very seriously.

Arcimboldo's Feast for the Eyes

Renaissance artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo painted witty, even surreal portraits composed of fruits, vegetables, fish and trees

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The Gates of Paradise

Panels from the Italian Renaissance sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti tour the U.S. for the first time

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