The Renaissance stands as, arguably, the most significant period in the history of art. Author 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.