The School of Athens (Raphael): Great Art Ep.4
The Renaissance was the revival of the ancient world through the spirit of the modern Christian world, and no work better represents this epoch than Raphael’s “The School of Athens.” Plato and Aristotle, the giants of ancient Western philosophy, and heroes of Raphael, walk toward us, flanked by a monumental gathering of Greek philosophers in […]
The Last Supper (Leonardo), Great Art Ep.2
The Last Supper de Leonardo Da Vinci. It’s one of the most reproduced paintings in the world – and for good reason. There is almost nothing left of the original, yet Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” remains the most significant representation of the last supper in art history. Christ and his twelve disciples gather […]
Drawing the Italian Renaissance: How artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo & Raphael worked
During the Italian Renaissance, generally held to be the period 1400 – 1600, drawing became a much more important part of an artist’s creative process. With paper becoming cheaper as a result of the book printing revolution in the 1500s, an artist could use it wastefully in a more experimental manner. Find out more about […]
Behind the Scenes at a Transfer of Early Renaissance Works at the National Gallery
Curator Laura Llewellyn works with art handlers to arrange and hang a selection of 15th-century Italian paintings in Room 14. The Sainsbury Wing galleries have closed for the time being, to keep the collections safe while building work is carried to mark our bicentenary and transform our visitor welcome. To ensure treasured paintings from the […]