What's inside Florence's Uffizi Gallery?
German art historian Eike Schmidt has been chosen to take over the directorship of Florence's famed Uffizi Gallery. The 47 year old will preside over a collection which includes these historic masterpieces.
Piero della Francesca: 'Portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino'
It's been called the most famous work of the Italian Renaissance. Piero della Francesca painted this grand artistic statement from 1465 to 1472, a portrait of Duke Federigo da Montefeltro of Urbino and his wife Battista Sforza. The diptych unusually features the Duke side-on as he'd lost his right eye and broken his nose in battle. The work is just one highlight in Florence's Uffizi Gallery.
Filippo Lippi: 'Madonna with Child and Two Angels'
Filippo Lippi was a dedicated monk until he fell in love with Lucrezia Buti and, following an impassioned affair, was forced to renounce his religious calling. Lippi then followed his father into painting and, around 1465, completed this stunning portrait of the Virgin Mary - thought to be modeled on Buti. Lippi's influence would be most famously manifested in his friend and protégé, Botticelli.
Botticelli: 'La Primavera'
The Medici family was the Rothschilds of its day, and loved nothing more than symbols of its power manifested in art. Botticelli knew well not to bite the hand that fed, and in 1482 offered up this painting for Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici, a cousin of Lorenzo the Magnificent. In true Botticelli fashion, however, the allegorical meaning of the work has still yet to be definitively decoded.
Botticelli: 'The Birth of Venus'
When it comes to blockbuster art, there's the "Mona Lisa" and there's "The Birth of Venus." Created by Sandro Botticelli between 1482 and 1485, it takes its theme from Ovid's "Metamorphoses" and was again commissioned by Florence's Medici family. It has since become widely considered the epitome of 15th century Italian art, and the most admired artwork at the Uffizi.
Michelangelo: 'Doni Tondo'
When Michelangelo returned to Florence from Rome he would produce some of his most notorious works, including the sculpture of "David." "Doni Tondo" originates from this fecund period. The rare painting portrays Mary, Joseph and Jesus in somewhat unnatural poses, sparking a chain of copycats and securing its place alongside the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel as Michelangelo masterworks.
Caravaggio: 'Bacchus'
He's the father of Baroque and was famed for his feisty temperament (and penchant for sword fights). But more so he's remembered as one of the most important artists ever, and "Bacchus" one of the finest examples of his unique realism. In this work, the wine god Bacchus, or Dionysus, is portrayed as an everyday man rather than a god - many believe modeled on the rabble-rouser Caravaggio himself.
Raphael: 'Madonna of the Goldfinch'
He was as fabled for his beauty as his art, and took his cues from the best - Leonardo da Vinci. And Raphael's role model's stamp is all over his "Madonna of the Goldfinch," painted in 1506 - namely its use of light shades and contrast, but with Raphael's tell-tale gracefulness. The work was badly damaged in a building collapse in the 16th century, with restoration work finally completed in 2008.
Artemisia Gentileschi: 'Judith and Holofernes'
It's a gruesome scene - Judith has the sword primed to decapitate Holofernes, the invading general of the Assyrian army. There is wide speculation the painting draws on Gentileschi's own rape, which saw her subsequently scandalized in Rome and forced to flee to Florence. While banished to a "dark corner" of art history, the work has now found its proper place as a 17th-century masterpiece.