Angel with Harp, tempera, page of illuminated manuscript

Italian Renaissance painting is most often be divided into four periods: the Proto-Renaissance (1300–1425), the Early Renaissance (1425–1495), the High Renaissance (1495–1520), and Mannerism (1520–1600). The city of Florence is renowned as the birthplace of the Renaissance, and in particular of Renaissance painting. From the early 15th to late 16th centuries, Italy was divided into many political states. The painters of Renaissance Italy wandered Italy, disseminating artistic and philosophical ideas. The Proto-Renaissance begins with the professional life of the painter Giotto and includes Taddeo Gaddi, Orcagna and Altichiero. The Early Renaissance style was started by Masaccio and then further developed by Fra Angelico, Paolo Uccello, Piero della Francesca, Sandro Botticelli, Verrocchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Giovanni Bellini. The High Renaissance period was that of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Andrea del Sarto, Coreggio, Giorgione, the latter works of Giovanni Bellini, and Titian. The Mannerist period, dealt with in a separate article, included the latter works of Michelangelo, as well as Pontormo, Parmigianino, Bronzino and Tintoretto.

Cristoforo Cortese was an Italian humanist scholar and philosopher who lived during the Renaissance. He was born around 1399 in Padua, Italy, and studied at the University of Padua. Cortese was a prolific writer and his works covered a wide range of subjects including philosophy, theology, ethics and politics. He was particularly interested in the works of Aristotle and wrote extensively on his philosophy. One of Cortese's most famous works is 'De Homine', a treatise on human nature. In this work he argued that humans have free will and are capable of making moral decisions. He also discussed the concept of the soul and its relationship to the body. Cortese was known for his strong opposition to Scholasticism, which was the dominant philosophical system of the time. He believed that Scholasticism was too focused on abstract concepts and lacked practical application. In addition to his philosophical works, Cortese was also a skilled translator. He translated several works from Greek into Latin, including those of Aristotle and Plato. Cortese died in Venice, Italy in 1445. His works had a significant influence on Renaissance humanism and are still studied and admired by scholars today.