Prior to the fifteenth century, very few works of art were signed and virtually no information on their artists, male or female, was recorded. However, beginning in the early Renaissance, the identities of artists and their stories begin to be preserved. Any study of the art of this period will undo...

Renaissance educational theory of the 15th and 16th centuries weighs in on the side of aristocracy, i.e., leadership roles should be in the hands of the best and brightest. Educa-tion for leadership is crucial for the sons of aristocrats. Being born into the aristocracy is not in itself a guarantee ...