These two alphabetically arranged volumes cover the major artistic developments in Italy from circa 1300 to circa 1600, a period that marks the Renaissance (or rebirth) of the humanistic spirit of classical antiquity. It is the period in which some of the most famous artists of all time were active, including Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo. Beginning with transitional Late Gothic artists such as Giotto, the biographies trace the evolution of new modes of artistic expression, from scientific naturalism and the development of linear perspective to the exploration of new secular themes derived from Classical literature and mythology. All three phases of Renaissance art are covered, early, high and late (the latter period also known as Mannerist). Besides biographies on all types of artists, from painters, illuminators, sculptors and architects to printmakers and maiolica designers, patrons and collectors, there are entries on styles such as all'antica, important art forms such as cassone, cities such as Siena, Florence, Perugia, Venice and in-depth surveys of all the fine and decorative art forms in Italy during the Renaissance and Mannerist periods.