The articles in this anthology examine cultures of competition in visual-art and literary depictions and in socio-cultural practices in the period from 1450 to 1620. The main focus is on aspects that transcend the humanistic ‘core area’ of Latin text production and the paragon discussions in the visual arts. By taking this perspective, it is possible to give an account of the central function occupied by the processes of emulating, of surpassing and of overcoming cultural models for the differentiation of humanistic and vernacular cultures in the Early Modern Age.