The son of a Tuscan shepherd, Giotto di Bondone rose to become the most important artist of his age, kick starting the Renaissance with his naturalistic and emotive treatment of medieval Christian iconography.

Leonardo da Vinci's great masterpiece the Mona Lisa is undoubtedly the most famous painting in the history of art. Yet as is often remarked Leonardo was much more than an artist.

Far from the cultural centers of Italy, the German artist Albrecht Dürer established his workshop in the city of Nuremberg, providing a centre for what was to become known as the northern Renaissance.

Of all the great artists that left their mark on the story of art, Michelangelo Buonarroti stands alone, so great were his achievements.

Any young artist who had risen to artistic maturity overshadowed by the towering reputations of Leonardo and Michelangelo could easily have been discouraged. Not so Raffaelo Santi of Urbino.

After the triumph of Renaissance art in Florence and Rome, the movement found a new centre, the city of Venice, and a new master, Tiziano Vecellio, known to English speakers as Titian.