This film looks at the aims and ideals of both painters and patrons in late fifteenth- and early sixteenth-century Italy. It explores the ways in which later generations of artists developed and exploited the techniques first used by early Renaissance painters, both to transform subject matter and to achieve more naturalistic representations of people and places. It examines not only the kinds of subjects being depicted, but also, themes or interests associated with specific artistic centres such as Florence, Rome and Venice, and poses questions about what happens when certain ideals - of harmony and balance, for example - are attained. The National Gallery's collection presents a unique opportunity to trace the development of Italian Renaissance painting, and Louise Govier introduces this extraordinarily creative artistic period through works by artists, including Giovanni and Gentile Bellini, Botticelli, Cima da Conegliano, Piero della Francesca, Leonardo, Filippo and Filippino Lippi, Mantegna, Michelangelo, Parmigianino, Perugino, Sebastiano del Piombo, Pontormo, Raphael, Cosimo Tura, and Verrocchio, The National Gallery DVD Collection combines high-quality scripts from Gallery experts with reproductions incorporating the latest digital technology.