Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, known as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspired by models from classical antiquity and had a lasting influence on Western art.

The Pieta appears to have originated in Germany (where it is known as the Vesperbild) during the mid to late 13th century era of Gothic art (although equally early examples have been found in Spain and in Orthodox churches in Russia). Thereafter it spread to Italy in time for the Early Renaissance 

The Statue of David embodies the city of Florence, symbolizing independence and strength in the perfect image of youthful beauty. Michelangelo's David took on new meaning shortly after its creation as both a symbol of the Renaissance and a representation of the city itself.

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 – 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath who lived in the time of the Renaissance. He is famous for his paintings. He was also a scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician, and a writer.

The Mona Lisa is a very realistic portrait. The subject's softly sculptural face shows Leonardo's skillful handling of sfumato, an artistic technique that uses subtle gradations of light and shadow to model form, and shows his understanding of the skull beneath the skin.

Heydenreich in his book Leonardo: The Last Supper, Leonardo's preliminary drawings exhibited the “traditional” composition, but that later, di Vinci became inspired to depict the moment before Christ identified Judas. His aim was to capture the emotions of each of the apostles in that dramatic moment.

Raphael, Italian in full Raffaello Sanzio or Raffaello Santi, (born April 6, 1483, Urbino, Duchy of Urbino [Italy]—died April 6, 1520, Rome, Papal States [Italy]), master painter and architect of the Italian High Renaissance. Raphael is best known for his Madonnas and for his large figure compositions in the Vatican.

The painting was commissioned by Pope Julius II in honor of his late uncle, Pope Sixtus IV, as an altarpiece for the basilica church of the Benedictine Monastery of San Sisto in Piacenza, with which the Rovere family had a long-standing relationship.