Italian sculptor celebrated for lifelike sculptures like the bronze figure of David commissioned by the Medici family.

Italian painter who learned from da Vinci and Michelangelo. Best known for his paintings of the Madonna and “The School of Athens.”

Italian sculptor, painter, and architect who carved “David” and painted The Sistine Chapel in Rome.

Mathematician and astronomer who made first modern scientific argument for the concept of a heliocentric solar system.

French philosopher and mathematician regarded as the father of modern philosophy. Famous for stating, “I think; therefore I am.”

One of the fathers of modern political theory. “The Prince” was first published as a pamphlet in 1513. In it, he outlined his vision of an ideal leader: an amoral, calculating tyrant for whom the end justifies the means.

Considered the greatest English-speaking writer in history and the most famous playwright of all time, celebrated for his sonnets and plays like “Twelfth Night”

German who invented the mechanical movable-type printing press in the middle of the 15th century. For the first time, it was possible to make books–and, by extension, knowledge–widely available.