Jacopo Sansovino - Saint Ambrose, bronze, Europe

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.

Jacopo Sansovino was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect. Born in Florence in 1486, he trained as a goldsmith before becoming a sculptor. In the early 16th century he moved to Rome, where he worked on several important projects, including the tomb of Pope Julius II. In 1527, Sansovino moved to Venice, where he became the city's official architect. He designed several important buildings in Venice, including the Libreria Marciana and the church of San Francesco della Vigna. His architectural style was influenced by the classical Roman style, which he combined with the decorative elements of the Venetian Gothic style. Sansovino also created several important sculptures, including the bronze statue of St John the Baptist in the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Florence and the statue of Mars in the Doge's Palace in Venice. He died in Venice in 1570 and is remembered as one of the most important artists of the Venetian Renaissance.