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Preview: Season 2025 | 30sVideo has Closed Captions
How the greatest artworks of all time were born of an era of war, rivalry and bloodshed.
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.
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Series Preview
Preview: Season 2025 | 30sVideo has Closed Captions
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.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Where to Watch Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty
Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty is available to stream on pbs.org and the PBS app.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(dramatic music) - The Renaissance is endlessly conflicted and violent, and once you start to mix art and money, it's a lethal cocktail.
- Michelangelo knows that he's going to be judged.
- When it's finished, Leonardo moves to a new level of fame.
- [Speaker] Raphael is going to steal Michelangelo's legacy.
- Rivalry is embedded within the Renaissance.
(dramatic music)
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How the greatest artworks of all time were born of an era of war, rivalry and bloodshed. (30s)
The Magnificence of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling
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Michelangelo unveils the Sistine Chapel ceiling, but the process prompts a crisis of faith. (5m 25s)
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Michelangelo and Leonardo both return to Florence, where the stage is set for a fierce rivalry. (2m 20s)
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Michelangelo carves his David: a symbol of Florence’s strength and fortitude. (3m 2s)
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Michelangelo carves his Pietà – a remarkable image of the Madonna holding her dead son. (3m 20s)
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Leonardo travels to Milan, determined to make his name at the court of the Duke of Sforza. (2m 35s)
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