Fra Filippo Lippi: Biography, Paintings and Renaissance Masterpieces
Fra Filippo Lippi transformed early Renaissance painting through graceful figures, emotional Madonnas and monumental frescoes. Explore his life, relationship with Lucrezia Buti, Medici patronage, greatest works and the Italian cities where his art can still be seen.
Sophia Loren: Biography, Movies and the Life of an Italian Cinema Icon
Sophia Loren rose from a childhood marked by poverty and war to become Italy’s most internationally celebrated actress. Her life encompasses Hollywood stardom, an historic Oscar for Two Women, unforgettable collaborations with Vittorio De Sica and Marcello Mastroianni, and a triumphant return in The Life Ahead.
Biography and art works of Masaccio
Tommaso di Giovanni di Simone, known as Masaccio, was not only the greatest Florentine painter of the early fifteenth century, but remains one of...
Biography and art works of Dante Gabriel Rossetti
All three of the Rossetti siblings would have important effects on late-nineteenth-century English culture: Christina became a well-regarded poet, and William Michael became an...
Biography and art works of Michelangelo Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, revolutionary naturalist painter, was born in Caravaggio near Milan, the son of a mason in 1573. He showed his talent...
Umberto Eco: Life, Books, Semiotics and Intellectual Legacy
Umberto Eco was an Italian novelist, semiotician, medievalist and public intellectual whose work connected philosophy, literature and popular culture. This biography follows his life from Alessandria and Turin to his academic career in Bologna, the worldwide success of The Name of the Rose and his enduring insights into signs, misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Roberto Benigni: Biography, Films and Life Is Beautiful
Roberto Benigni rose from experimental theatre and irreverent television comedy to become an Oscar-winning director, actor and one of Italy’s most distinctive public performers.
Giuseppe Verdi: The Master of Italian Opera
The life and career of Giuseppe Verdi, from his childhood near Busseto and the triumph of Nabucco to Aida, Otello, Falstaff and his enduring place in Italian culture.
Alberto Giacometti: Life, Art and the Meaning of His Elongated Figures
Alberto Giacometti transformed the human figure through his fragile, elongated sculptures. This detailed biography follows his Italian-speaking Swiss childhood, formative travels through Italy, Surrealist experiments, postwar masterpieces, paintings, principal models and enduring influence on modern art.
Vittorio De Sica: Actor, Director and Master of Italian Neorealism
Vittorio De Sica was both a charismatic Italian actor and one of cinema’s most influential directors. Explore his early stardom, partnership with Cesare Zavattini, neorealist masterpieces, work with Sophia Loren and enduring international legacy.
Biography and art works of Beato Fra Angelico
Fra Angelico, a Dominican friar, was perhaps the most important painter of Renaissance Florence.
Giotto di Bondone: Biography, Masterpieces and Where to See His Art
Giotto di Bondone gave sacred stories unprecedented physical presence and human emotion. This expanded biography examines his revolutionary style, the Scrovegni Chapel, the disputed Assisi frescoes, his work in Florence and the most important places to see his art today.
Biography and art works of Amedeo Modigliani
Amedeo Modigliani was born in Italy in the Livorno ghetto in 1884. His father, a ruined banker, died young and his mother, a descendant...
Donatello: Biography, David Sculptures and Renaissance Artworks
Donatello transformed Renaissance sculpture through classical form, psychological realism and technical innovation. Explore his two David sculptures, Gattamelata, Mary Magdalene and the masterpieces visitors can see across Florence and Padua.
Biography and art works of Sandro Botticelli
Sandro Botticelli was born in Florence in 1445. The most humanistic of the Renaissance painters, he was at first apprenticed to a goldsmith. He...
Anna Magnani: Life, Films and Legacy of Italy’s Great Actress
Anna Magnani became the unforgettable face of Italian neorealism before winning an Academy Award for The Rose Tattoo. Her remarkable career encompassed Roman theatre, Rome, Open City, her turbulent collaboration with Roberto Rossellini, Hollywood productions and late masterpieces such as Mamma Roma.
Ennio Morricone: Life, Music and the Sound of Italian Cinema
Ennio Morricone was one of the most influential composers in cinema history. This complete biography explores his Roman upbringing, classical training, innovative pop arrangements, partnership with Sergio Leone, major international scores, awards, family life and enduring musical legacy.
Marino Marini: Biography, Equestrian Sculptures and Major Artworks
Marino Marini transformed horses, riders, female figures and portrait heads into powerful symbols of modern life. This guide examines his Tuscan origins, artistic development, principal themes, major works and the museums where his art can be seen.
Biography and art works of Bernardino Luini
(1475 - 1532) Bernardino Luini was a North Italian painter from Leonardo's circle, a conservative painter who took "as much from Leonardo as his...
Marcello Mastroianni: Biography, Greatest Films and Enduring Legacy
Marcello Mastroianni was far more than the sophisticated star of La Dolce Vita. Explore his life, defining performances, collaborations with Federico Fellini and Sophia Loren, and the essential films that made him an icon of European cinema.