the stars of the florentine class of 1500 are all here -- leonardo da vinciannunciation is exquisite. michelangelo's holy family shows he can do more than carve statues. and raphael, considered a synthesis of the power of michelangelo and the grace of leonardo, captures a delicate moment in his madonna of the goldfinch. and the collection follows art after the renaissance with masterpieces like parmigianino's slippery lady with the long neck. for me, the uffizi, like florence itself, is all about the thrilling leap from gothic to renaissance.,en d these altarpieces are gothic. being pre-renaissance, they simply tell their story through symbolism rather than realism. the gold-leaf sky isn't realistic, but it implies a rich and holy setting. the angels are stacked like a totem pole. flanking this cross, panels like painted pages tell the story of the crucifixion, but with little sense of depth. yet artists were trying. to show jesus' head leaning out, it actually does. giotto, while still gothic, is often considered the first modern painter. notice the progress. his more-realistic setti