Painted in 1920, Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale reimagines a Renaissance court to explore power, invention, and patronage. The scene depicts Leonardo da Vinci presenting an early flying machine to Ludovico Sforza. Historically, Sforza was known to delay payments or abandon commissions, leaving artists like Leonardo dependent on uncertain approval — a tension often read into this moment. Often considered a late Pre-Raphaelite, Eleanor continued the movement’s fascination with history, symbolism, and

The Medici: How Bankers Built the Renaissance #Renaissance #Medici #EuropeanHistory The Renaissance wasn’t funded by kings — it was funded by bankers. This episode explains how the Medici family used money, patronage, and institutions to turn Florence into the engine of the Renaissance and reshape European history.