Upper Arlington Public Library

In early 15th century Italy, there was a return to classical Greek and Roman ideas and styles. During this period, a manuscript was discovered in Greece by a Florentine which purported to explain about 200 Egyptian hieroglyphs. After this discovery, “Egyptomania” spread across the country and Egyptian influences began to appear in Italian Renaissance art. In fact, there are examples of rebuses (word-image puzzles) created by Leonardo da Vinci, which seem to have elements derived from Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Join Rebecca Howard of The Ohio State University’s Department of the History of Art for a fascinating look at the Egyptian influence on Italian Renaissance art.