"After Margherita's father steals parsley from the walled garden of the courtesan Selena Leonelli, he is threatened with having both hands cut off, unless he and his wife relinquish their precious little girl. Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1512 and still inspiring him at the time of his death. She is at the center of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal,...

"Florence, the 1550s. Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and to devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. But when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding to the ruler of Ferrara, Moderna and Regio, Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: the duke is quick to request her hand in marriage, and her father...

This book tells of Isabella and her brother, Stefano, who lived in Venice, Italy during the Renaissance.

Most notable for his vast poem, The Divine Comedy, Dante's work continues to resonate with audiences today. Filmmaker Malcolm Hossick uncovers the Italian poet's background and his influential work from the Renaissance period.

If there is one genre of art that seems to have played a greater role than any other, it is the nude. For at least 30,000 years, humans have represented the naked form in a variety of ways. From the ideal to the real, the romantic to the surrealist, there have been almost no end of works devoted to the unclothed human body. This series - presented by writer and broadcaster Tim Marlow - will examine those artworks, the societies that produced them...

The Awkward Age Henry James - The Awkward Age is a novel by Henry James, first published as a serial in Harper's Weekly in 1898-1899 and then as a book later in 1899.Making her debut in London society, Nanda Brookenham is being groomed for the marriage market. Thrust suddenly into the superficial circle that surrounds her mother, the innocent but independent-minded young woman even finds herself in competition with Mrs Brookenham for the affection...

After breaking up with her boyfriend, seventeen-year-old Rowena takes an out-of-town summer job at a Renaissance fair, but romantic entanglements soon follow.

In the fascinating Great artist series, we investigate some of the best artists in history - examining their influence, style and what exactly made them so unique. In this double package we examine the lives and work of two of the most influential artists of this period - El Greco, the most dramatic painter of his time, arguably paving the way for the Baroque art movement, and Dürer, accomplished oil artist and the first self-portraitist in art.

In the fascinating Great artist series, we investigate some of the best artists in history - examining their influence, style and what exactly made them so unique. In this double package we examine two vital instigators of the Renaissance; Giotto, with his naturalistic and emotive treatment of medieval Christian iconography, whose popularity and commissions raised the status of artists forevermore, and Piero della Francesca, creator of calm, monumental...

Art from late medieval England and the early years of the Renaissance is revealed in this film in all of its splendour and variety. This is the age of the Hundred Years' War, the Wars of the Roses and the early Tudors. Under kings from Henry IV to Henry VIII, artists in England produced dazzling illuminated manuscripts, exquisite jewels and moving devotional images and sculptures. Featuring many of the exhibits in the landmark V&A exhibition, Gothic:...