Until 1870, Italy was divided into numerous independent territories. In the early 1500s, the northern Italian city-states of Ferrara, Bologna, Mantua and Parma shared close ties through marriage, military alliances and trade.

The ruling family of Ferrara, the Este, cultivated humanist learning and commissioned elaborate decorative schemes. The Bentivoglio family dominated political and artistic life in the city of Bologna. The Gonzaga of Mantua were prolific patrons and amassed one of the greatest art collections in Europe, later acquired for Charles I. Giulio Romano (no. 38) worked as an architect and designer for Federigo Gonzaga (ruled 1519–40), most notably remodelling his pleasure palace, the Palazzo Tè, and creating a series of state apartments in the Palazzo Ducale.

In the early sixteenth century, Parma became part of the Papal States and experienced a cultural revival. Correggio (nos. 34, 35) spent most of his career in Parma and his style created a new dramatic and emotional intensity that foreshadowed the expressive achievements of Baroque art. Parmigianino (nos. 36, 37) refined Correggio’s illusionistic effects and promoted an even more sophisticated and elegant style.