Ocean State Libraries

Joining the bestsellers Longitude and Galileo's Daughter, a lively and intriguing tale of two artists whose competitive spirit brought to life one of the world's most magnificent structures and ignited the Renaissance. The dome of the Santa Maria del Fiore, the great cathedral of Florence, is among the most enduring symbols of the Renaissance, an equal to the works of Leonardo and Michelangelo. Its designer was Filippo Brunelleschi, a temperamental...

"From 15011505, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti both lived and worked in Florence. Leonardo was a charming, handsome fifty year-old at the peak of his career. Michelangelo was a temperamental sculptor in his mid-twenties, desperate to make a name for himself. Michelangelo is a virtual unknown when he returns to Florence and wins the commission to carve what will become one of the most famous sculptures of all time: David. Even though...

The exhibition is divided into different parts, the first (Section I: The Legacy of the Fathers) exploring the rediscovery of ancient art in the 13th and 14th centuries by the likes of Nicola Pisano, Arnolfo and their successors. It then looks into the assimilation of Gothic style of French origin, including Brunelleschi's renowned sculpture, which is the starting point for the Early Renaissance. The exhibition follows development and influences from...