The Italian Renaissance, the period immediately following the Middle Ages, was a time when human creativity and curiosity produced unprecedented - and still unparalleled - works of art. Just as these artists broke with the familiar and changed the way their contemporaries viewed the world, MASTERS OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE breaks the mold of art history on television. With the strong, familiar voice of Frank Deford narrating, the program immediately establishes its objective - accessible art history. MASTERS OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE celebrates some of the master artists and master works that defined this era of "rediscovery" -- da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Giotto, Raphael and more -- and made an indelible mark on the Western world. Informative narration expands viewers' appreciation of stunning visuals, introducing a new perspective on the artists and their art.

Using some of the world's most famous paintings and sculptures - and some lesser known but equally groundbreaking artists and works - MASTERS OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE traces the development from the illusion of realism in which paintings gave the feeling of depth by composition to a true realism, rooted in scientifically calculated points of perspective. The program gives an overview of the Renaissance through its principal players, from Giotto, one of the first masters to realize the illusion of depth in his paintings, to Leonardo da Vinci's study of optics, to Masacchio, known as the "master of perspective" and considered to be the first "modern" painter and beyond, exploring the fundamentals of art history for both the connoisseur and casual museum goer.

MASTERS OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE also steps back from a painting or sculpture to examine the artist behind it and their role in the artistic landscape of the time, from Boticelli's self portrait in the corner of "The Adoration" to the 23-year-old Michelangelo's bold gesture of signing his "Pieta."

Executive Producer: Roy Hammond; Producer/writer: Sam Toperoff; Narrator: Frank Deford. MASTERS OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE is a WLIW New York Production in association with Europoint International Ltd., Florence.

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