Renaissance Florence: The Art of the 1470s Postcard Book

From back cover: Men more muscular in body, more vigorous in action, and more ferocious in expression than any seen in the art of Western Europe for nearly a thousand years made their appearance in Florentine paintings and sculpture in the 1470s -- especially in the work of Antonio del Pollaiuolo and Andrea del Verrocchio. At the same time the representation of women -- particularly of the Virgin Mary but also of the pagan goddess Venus -- underwent equally novel and exciting developments, which can be seen in the work of Botticelli and Filippino and also, of course, in that of Verrocchio's pupil, Leonardo da Vinci. Portraiture in both painting and sculpture reflected a fascination with the art of the ancient Greeks and Romans, known only from precious fragments, shattered statues, rusty coins, tiny engraved gems and gleaming hardstones -- and in the descriptions of the poets.