Introduction -- Tuscany and Umbria -- Florence -- Naturalism and stylism -- Painting realistically -- Sienna -- Making a panel painting -- Perspective -- Influence of sculpture -- Conclusion -- Credits.

In the late thirteenth century, the highly patterned and stylised form of painting that dominated the Middle Ages began to give way to a much more naturalistic kind of art. For the first time since the ancient world artists actively sought to observe the world around them, reflecting what they saw in the images they made. The way art looked changed dramatically and this film questions why it happened at this particular point and how artists learned to paint with completely new approaches. The National Gallery's collection presents a unique opportunity to investigate the development of early Italian Renaissance painting. This DVD introduces this extraordinary period of art history through works by artists including Cimabue, Masaccio, Duccio and Piero della Francesca, and explores the cities of Florence and Siena, which are central to an understanding of the period.

In English with optional subtitles in English.