1. Europe
Italy

2. Italy in the 15th Century (1400s)
Italy in the 15th century comprised over a dozen independent political units.

3. Pre-Renaissance Paintings (14th century)
Andrea di Bonaiuto, Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints (polyptych), 1360s
Segna di Bonaventura, Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints and Donor, c

4. Andrea di Bonaiuto, Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints (polyptych), 1360s
A polyptych is an object—for our purposes, usually an altarpiece—that has three or more sections. The word is formed by combining the prefix poly (from the Greek polys = “many” or “several”) with ptychos (= “fold” or “layer”).

5. Andrea di Bonaiuto, Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints (polyptych), 1360s
Iconography: The study of images from the point of view of subject matter (rather than style), content (rather than form), what they represent, and how they are represented.

6. Andrea di Bonaiuto, Madonna
and Child Enthroned with Saints
Located in Santa Maria del Carmine,
the church of the Carmelite Order in
Florence, the altarpiece includes John the
Baptist, the Florentine patron saint, and the
Prophet Elijah, legendary founder of the Order,
dressed in the white and black Carmelite habit.

7. Pre-Renaissance (14th century) Early Renaissance (15th century)
Piero della Francesca, Madonna and Child with Saints and Donor (Montefeltro Altarpiece), 1470s
Segna di Bonaventura, c

8. Portrait of the donor: Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino
Piero della Francesca, Madonna and Child with Saints and Donor (Montefeltro Altarpiece), 1470s

9. Piero della Francesca, Montefeltro Altarpiece, 1470s
High Renaissance (16th century)
Early Renaissance (15th century)
Piero della Francesca, Montefeltro Altarpiece, 1470s
Titian, Pesaro Altarpiece,

10. High Renaissance (16th century)
Members of the Pesaro family
Titian, Pesaro Altarpiece,

11. Parmigianino, Madonna of the Long Neck, 1534-40
High Renaissance (16th century)
Mannerism (16th century)
Parmigianino, Madonna of the Long Neck,
Titian, Pesaro Altarpiece,

12. Parmigianino, Madonna of the Long Neck, 1534-40
Detail
Parmigianino, Madonna of the Long Neck,

13. Parmigianino, Madonna of the Long Neck, 1534-40
Detail
Parmigianino, Madonna of the Long Neck,

14. Parmigianino, Madonna of the Long Neck, 1534-40
Detail: angel with urn
Parmigianino, Madonna of the Long Neck,

15. Sleeping Christ child Michelangelo, Pietà, 1496-98
Note: References to the dead, adult
Christ are said to be “proleptic”—that
is, they anticipate something that will
occur in the future.