Who was the ‘First Lady of the Renaissance’? Let us introduce the remarkable Isabella d’Este… In our new edition of The Arts Society Magazine The Arts Society lecturer, novelist, broadcaster and critic Sarah Dunant reveals key things to know about Isabella (1471–1539). One of the greatest – and first – female patrons of the Renaissance, she grew up surrounded by stellar artworks and later married into the House of Gonzaga in Mantova, Italy. From there she became the first female art collector of her time, acquiring works by giants such as Leonardo, Raphael, Titian and Perugino. Unique for her time, Isabella also left behind a trove of over 33,000 letters, including correspondence with figures such as kings, princes, popes and cardinals; within that archive Sarah discovered many treasures. These led to her new book ‘The Marchesa’, published by Whitefox Pictured here is a detail of the portrait ‘Isabella d’Este (Isabella in Black)’ painted by Titian in the 1530s. Isabella, says Sarah, ‘instructed Titian on every detail of this portrait…’ and was in fact over 60 when she commissioned it. (Image: Kunsthistorisches Museum / Wikimedia Commons) Discover more in the full feature in the magazine, which is our gift to members of The Arts Society. To join just head to the link in our bio to find out how to do so! (fb)

Do you think you know all there is to know about The Last Judgement? In our new YouTube series 'Art Takes' we dive deeper into a range of different artworks, and we couldn't resist starting in the Sistine Chapel... Discover hidden symbols, artistic techniques and theological messages that have fascinated art historians for centuries. Watch the full film on YouTube, and if you have any future artwork requests please comment down below! https://youtu.be/POQYAIvoB20?feature=shared (fb)