Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519) was born and raised near Vinci, Italy. He is regarded as being amongst the greatest painters of all time and his works include The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. Possibly the greatest known genius of all time, he also hugely advanced fields as diverse as medicine, engineering and astronomy. The range and depth of his interests have made him the archetypal "Renaissance man".

Edgar Degas (1834 - 1917) was born in Paris, France and is regarded as being among the artists who founded Impressionism. His paintings are distinguished by their everyday subject matter and bold use of colour. Some of his best known works are "The Dance Class" and "At The Races".

Edouard Manet (1832 - 1883) was born in Paris and was among the first artists of the nineteenth century to paint real life subjects. His work was an important part of the move from Realism to Impressionism. His paintings include The Luncheon on the Grass and Olympia.

Michelangelo (1475 - 1564) was born in Caprese near Arezzo, Tuscany in Italy. He was a Renaissance artist, engineer and architect. On the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, he created scenes from Genesis and on the altar wall The Last Judgement. His other works include the sculpture the David and the dome of St Peter's Basilica.

Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973) was born in Malaga, Spain. He is possibly the best known artist of the 20th century and with Georges Braque he founded cubism. During his long working life, he produced thousands of paintings, prints, sculptures and designs. He is probably most famed for the painting Guernica which represents the inhumanity of the German bombing of Guernica in Spain.

Harmenz van Rijn Rembrandt (1606 - 1669) was born in Leiden in the Netherlands. He is one of the greatest printmakers and painters in the history of European art. His famous works include such masterpieces as Night Watch and Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp.

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775 - 1851) was born in Covent Garden, London. He is regarded as being the most important British artist ever and is credited with inspiring Impressionism. Among the works he is best known for are The Grand Canal, Venice and The Fighting Temeraire.