Chapter 22 Renaissance and Mannerism in Cinquecento Italy

Chapter 22 Renaissance and Mannerism in Cinquecento Italy

 

Italian art in the 16^th century built upon the foundation of the Early Renaissance, particularly the interest in classical culture, perspective, and human anatomy, but it developed in dramatic, distinctive ways. The century is divided into High (1495-1520) and Late (1520-1600) Renaissance periods. Throughout the century, regional stylistic differences emerged, with Florentine and Roman artists emphasizing careful design and preliminary drawing (disegno) and Venetian artists focusing on paint application and color (colorito). Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo were the leading figures during the Renaissance, an era in which artists were celebrated and recognized for their individual achievements. Titian was the great master of Venetian painting, and Andrea Palladio and Bramante were the leading architects of the Renaissance. During this period, the Catholic Church remained the central patron of the arts, and Pope Julius II was responsible for commissioning some of the greatest Renaissance artworks, including paintings by Michelangelo and Raphael in the Vatican, and Bramante’s and Michelangelo’s architectural designs for St. Peter’s. Artists were also recruited by the Church to contribute their talents toward its Counter-Reformation efforts. Mannerism developed after 1520 as a reaction to the art of the High Renaissance. Mannerist artists such as Parmigianino painted scenes marked by extreme refinement, artifice and exaggeration of form, while the Mannerist architect Giulio Romano even parodied Bramante’s classical style.