Guido Mazzoni’s terracotta portrait of an elderly man confronts viewers with unidealised age and psychological realism, transforming clay into a profound Renaissance meditation on human dignity, mortality, and individual identity.
Isabella Brant
Rubens’s portraits of Isabella Brant combine Baroque vitality with intimate psychological presence, preserving her grace, status, and individuality through luminous brushwork that unites affection, realism, and refined portraiture.
Patriarch Joseph II of Constantinople
Patriarch Joseph II of Constantinople died in Florence in 1439, pursuing Christian unity between East and West. His tomb in Santa Maria Novella remains a quiet symbol of that dream.
Bust of a Lady
Almond eyes once inlaid with rose glass, braided crown, classical folds — Chania’s mysterious Bust of a Lady offers a rare, intimate glimpse into late Roman Crete’s aristocratic world.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s bust of Duke Francesco I d’Este
Bernini sculpted Duke Francesco I d’Este without ever meeting him — the result is one of Baroque art’s most theatrically alive portraits, later reimagined by Giovanni Boldini’s expressive brush.
Saint Constantine in Arezzo
On Saint Constantine’s name day, a journey to Arezzo — where Piero della Francesca’s majestic frescoes place Constantine at the heart of one of Renaissance art’s greatest cycles.
Sofonisba Anguissola of Cremona
Sofonisba Anguissola of Cremona shattered Renaissance barriers to become one of history’s first celebrated female artists — her luminous portraits of rare psychological depth earning admiration from Michelangelo and Vasari alike.
Rubens and Isabella Brant
Painted shortly after their marriage, Rubens’s luminous double portrait with Isabella Brant beneath a honeysuckle bower is an intimate Baroque masterpiece — a tender celebration of love, fidelity, and wedded devotion.
Amarna Canopic Jar
Discovered in the Valley of the Kings, this enigmatic Amarna Canopic Jar at the MET haunts with unanswered questions — its exquisitely sculpted lid concealing the identity of a mysterious royal woman.
Portrait of a Young Man Praying and Flowers in a Jug
Explore Hans Memling at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum: refined portraits, luminous colour, and symbolic still life reveal Northern Renaissance devotion and artistic innovation.