Renaissance means rebirth and is the term used to describe the renewed interest in the art, architecture and literature of antiquity that took place in Europe from the 1400s to the late 1500s.
This gallery concentrates on the work of artists in Italy where Florence, Venice and Rome were key centres of artistic production and innovation.
The Hunt in the Forest by Paolo Uccello (1397–1475) is one of the best-loved and well-known paintings in the Museum’s collection and takes pride of place in this gallery. This magical work depicts a hunting scene taking place at night and is crammed with figures of huntsmen – some on horseback, others on foot – accompanied by eager hunting dogs. The composition shows Uccello’s fascination with perspective and geometry as everything converges on a central vanishing point.
The central cases contain some fine examples of Renaissance bronzes, carvings and ivory work. In an individual case stands a bust of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564) one of the key figures of the Italian Renaissance. The Ashmolean holds a world-famous collection of his drawings which can be seen by appointment. This bust was modelled by his friend, Daniele da Volterra, and clearly shows the broken nose which was the result of a brawl between Michelangelo and one of his pupils.
The Portrait of a Young Man by Alessandro Allori, hanging at one end of the gallery, shows how the wealthy would surround themselves with exquisite objects inspired by classical art.
Recent additions to the gallery include two newly-reframed Renaissance masterpieces: Saint Jerome Reading in a Landscape by Giovanni Bellini (1430–1516) and Portrait of a Young Man by Domenico Ghirlandaio (1449–1494). These reframes form part of a wider restoration project generously supported by Fondation Etrillard, which you can read about below.
