Botticelli, Holbein, Leonardo, D--uuml--;rer, Michelangelo: the names are familiar, as are many of the works. But who were these artists, why did they produce such memorable images, and how would their original beholders have viewed these objects? This book answers such questions by considering both famous and lesser-known artists, patrons, and works of art from the period. - ;Botticelli, Holbein, Leonardo, D--uuml--;rer, Michelangelo: the names are familiar, as are the works, such as the Last Supper fresco, or the monumental marble statue of David. But who were these artists, why did they produce such memorable images, and how would their original beholders have viewed these objects? Was the Renaissance only about great masters and masterpieces, or were "mistresses" also involved, such as women artists and patrons? And what about the 'minor'-pieces that. Renaissance men and women would have encountered in homes, churches and civic spaces? This exciting and stimulating volume will answer such questions by considering both famous and lesser-known artists, patrons and works of art within the cultural and historical context of Renaissance Europe. - ;Johnson has succeeded in packing a great deal of intelligent discussion into a very limited space. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone, from teenagers onwards, requiring an introduction to current views on Renaissance Art -.