Gjennom analyse av hovedverker fra renessansen ser Steiner på tre giganters betydning for kunst- og ulturutviklingen ved å skille mellom den greskromerske tidsalder og epoken som fulgte. Han trekker parallellene tilbake til de greske idealer og viser hvordan disse forvandles til en ny inderlighet; i tråd med menneskehetens åndsutvikling fra den mer utadrettede til den indre opplevelses tid. Samtidig gis et innblikk i disse store kunstneres individuelle, tildels tragiske skjebne: Ikke ble de forstått av sin samtid og de var heller ikke selv tilfreds med sine livsverk.
...r than Raphael, but Michelangelo, who was in Rome for this period, was just eight years his senior. Michelangelo already disliked Leonardo, and in Rome came to dislike Raphael even more, attributing conspiracies against him to the younger man. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti and Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio). These are the very first artists that come to mind when ever the term ... Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael around 1500 brings together eight works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, and Raffaello Santi, or Raphael; three artists who were keenly aware of each other's work and at times intensely rivalrous Another artistic Renaissance rivalry existed between Michelangelo and Raphael. When young artist Raphael emerged onto the Renaissance art scene in Italy in 1504, he had an intricate style that was influenced by his predecessors, including Leonardo and Michelangelo, he certainly ruffled a few feathers. Leonardo da Vinci began producing his important works in the 1...