An indispensable biographical encyclopedia of artists from this most important period in art history The Renaissance stands as, arguably, the most significant period in the history of art. Irene Earls provides biographical chapters for each of the ten most famous artists from the European Renaissance: Alberti, Brunelleschi, Donatello, Fra Filippo Lippi, Giotto, Leonardo, Mantegna, Masacio, Michelangelo and Raphael. Each chapter traces the childhood and artistic development of the artist, recounts in vivid detail his most noteworthy creations, places his work within artistic, cultural, and philosophical (often religious) contexts, and examines the ways in which the artist influenced subsequent generations of artists. A timeline, chapter bibliographies, a glossary of terms, and a subject index provide additional tools for readers researching artists from this unparalleled period of artistic creation and rebirth. In addition to learning about the artists' techniques, training, and creations, readers learn many fascinating facts about the artists as people. Michelangelo carved his name on his Pieta only after it was publicly displayed and an onlooker attributed it to a Milanese artist. Leonardo De Vinci could bend a horseshoe with his bare hand, and he regularly bought birds from street vendors just to turn them loose. Brunelleschi made his own clocks. Alberti wrote a dramatic comedy in classical Latin that was mistaken by some for an ancient work. These ten artists truly embodied the Renaissance Man ideal, and the author shows the agonies and the ecstasies of their lives and work. Part of the Artists of an Era series Provides narrative detailed chapters on ten famous Renaissance artists, with in-depth biographical information, artistic analysis, and cultural context