The Renaissance period at the end of the 14th century changed artistic thought forever. Marked by a return to Greco-Roman flourishes after the stultifying Middle Ages, the Renaissance ushered in innovative changes in painting, sculpture, and architecture. This guide details the major works of the period, from artists such as Da Vinci, Botticelli, and Rafael.

Born on July 15,1606 in Leiden, Netherlands to a modestly wealthy family, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was to become one of the world's great artists. At the age of fourteen he attended the University of Leiden and soon began created paintings that reflected the multitude of thoughts and emotions present in his great mind.

Living in poverty for most of his life and so driven by demons that he cut off part of one of his ears, Vincent Van Gogh was the incarnation of the mad, misunderstood artist. His revolutionary, rich palettes and thick brushstrokes reflect the intensity of his life. This lively study follows the tortured genius’s career from his early, gloomy work through his vibrant Parisian period and the powerful paintings of the last years before his premature death at age 37.