The art in Florence is dominated by one period, the Italian Renaissance. Within Florence’s medieval walls, lived the greatest painters of the time — Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Giotto, Masaccio, Botticelli, Fra Angelico, and Giorgio Vasari.
It was in Florence that Europe’s first museums took shape. They began in family collections, then turned into princely collections.
What Art To See In Florence:
Masaccio, The Holy Trinity, Basilica of Santa Maria Novella
Santa Maria Novella is a beautiful church with a striking polychrome and white marble facade. The interior is a true marvel. And it holds one of the most famous and innovative paintings in Italy, The Holy Trinity by Masaccio.
Masaccio was an early Renaissance superhero who tragically died young of malaria at only 27. Masaccio was the first artist, in art history, to incorporate single point linear perspective into his art. This created the illusion of space within a painting and made The Holy Trinity look like a recess in the chapel.
A remarkable thing about the painting is the architectural details. Masaccio used forms of ancient Roman architecture — coffers, columns, a barrel vault, capitals, and a triumphal arch.
Botticelli, Birth of Venus, Uffizi Gallery
Birth of Venus is a dreamlike celebration of beauty and love. It’s a lush, richly symbolic,
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