Sandro Botticelli, Primavera, 1482

This painting was done by Sandro Botticelli for Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici, a member of the powerful Medici family of 15th century Florence, Italy. I think this painting is humanism at its best. All of the characters portrayed in this painting are very realistic. They are set apart from each other by   Botticelli use of depth and diversity.

Jan van Eyck, 1434

I think this painting is great because of Eyck's careful attention to detail. How he was able to paint himself as one of the images in the mirror in the back of the room, escapes me. I also admire how each item within the painting symbolizes something significant in the life of Giovanni Arnolfini, the patron who commission the painting.

Hubert and Jan van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece, Ghent, Belgium, 1432

This altarpiece was created by a brilliant Flemish artist Jan van Eyck. I chose this piece because it took God, who is transcendent in the priestly source of the bible, and made him very human. This altarpiece would have been a wonderful way to capture the imagination of worshipers in the Saint Bavo Cathedral.

Arnolfo di Cambio, Santa Maria del Fiore

I think this beautiful design by Arnolfo di Cambio is architecture at its best. This piece takes me out of the 21st century and into the 13th century. I can hear the church bells and smell the smells of all that was 13th century Italy; all that was considered the good life in those days. Is it not the job of the artist to captivate the imagination of the audience, and take them to a place that transcends the limitations of the finite plane of everyday existence? Look at this piece and be carried back in time.

Nicola Pisano, pulpit of the baptistery

       
This picture captures the unique work of the Italian sculpture Nicola Pisano. Nicola completed the pulpit of the baptistery in 1260 for "Pisa's century-old baptistery". I personally like this piece by Nicola because it embodies the best of classical art. For example, the columns that are supported by lions takes me out of medieval Europe and back into 1st century Rome; a period in which art/sculpture was harnessed and expressed in supreme elegance. This piece is certainly one of elegance that rivals the great artistry of ancient Rome.