Marked by the Renaissance and Baroque, this era revived classical ideals while celebrating humanism, proportion, realism, and dramatic expression.

High Renaissance

c. 1490–1527

The High Renaissance represents a peak of artistic harmony and balance. Artists achieved technical mastery and idealized composition. Works combined beauty, clarity, and intellectual depth. This period produced some of the most iconic works in Western art.

Satine Chapel Ceiling

Michelangelo

1508–1512

A vast fresco cycle with biblical scenes, including the iconic Creation of Adam.

St Maria della Pace courtyard

Bramante

c. 1500–1504

A small Renaissance cloister with harmonious proportions and classical details.

Tempietto

Donato Bramante

1502

A circular chapel in Rome, considered a masterpiece of High Renaissance architecture.

Villa Madama

Raphael

Begun 1518

A Renaissance villa designed for the Medici, combining classical ideals with decorative frescoes.

Hall of Perspectives

Peruzzi

c. 1518–1520

A Renaissance room decorated with illusionistic frescoes that create the sense of grand architecture.

Madonna of the Harpies

Andrea Del Sarto

1517

An altarpiece of the Virgin and Child on a pedestal, blending grace with subtle symbolism.

Moses

Michelangelo

1513–1515

A monumental marble statue of the prophet, full of power and tension, with flowing beard and tablets.

The Triumph of Galatea

Raphael

1511

A mythological fresco of the sea nymph Galatea, painted with elegance and bright colors.

The School of Athens

Raphael

1509–1511

A fresco showing ancient philosophers gathered in a grand setting, symbolizing knowledge and harmony.

Mona Lisa

Leonardo Da Vinci

c. 1503–1506 (reworked until c. 1517)

The world’s most famous portrait, admired for its mysterious smile and sfumato technique.

Vitruvian Man

Leonardo Da Vinci

c. 1490

A famous drawing of human proportions, linking art, science, and classical ideals.

Villa Medici at Poggio a Caiano

Giuliano da Sangallo

Begun 1485

A country villa blending classical temple forms with Renaissance design.

Christ Gives St Peter the Keys of Heaven

Pietro Perugino

1481–1482

A fresco in the Sistine Chapel symbolizing papal authority, painted with symmetry and calm perspective.

Portrait of a Boy

Pinturicchio

c. 1480

A sensitive Renaissance portrait of a young boy, painted with delicate detail and clarity.