Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty

After four long years, Michelangelo finally unveils the completed Sistine Chapel ceiling. The Chapel's ceiling is roughly 600 square meters, nearly the size of three tennis courts; a monumental task that Michelangelo painted almost entirely by himself. While Pope Julius II is thrilled with the finished product, four years of backbreaking labor leaves Michelangelo broken and questioning his faith.

After making their names in Rome and Milan, Michelangelo and Leonardo both return to Florence, where the stage is set for a fierce rivalry between the two great artists – each determined to prove himself Florence’s favorite son.

Michelangelo carves his David: a powerful symbol of Florence’s strength and fortitude in the face of its larger, more aggressive neighbors. But Leonardo is determined to hide his rival’s masterpiece from public view.

Michelangelo carves his Pietà – a remarkable image of the Madonna holding her dead son. He is determined to “make something of such great and rare beauty that no one who saw it would not be moved to pity.”

Failing to secure commissions in Florence, Leonardo travels to Milan where he is determined to make his name at the court of the Duke of Sforza. He turns his hand to designing of weapons of war… but is also given the freedom to indulge his creativity and thirst for knowledge.

The greatest artworks in western civilization emerged from one of the bloodiest periods in history. This series explores the lives of three of the greatest artists in history – Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael – as they craft beauty from chaos.