Day 17: Mannerism

Mannerism showed up in the art world after the High Renaissance around 1520. It incorporates different methods and reactions to principles of artists like Leonardo di Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo. But they went a step further than these guys.

In Mannerist paintings, there is no certain focus in composition; the space is unclear; figures are distorted, exaggerated, and elongated, strange yet elegant, and the heads are small and oval. It is filled with colors, much unlike the balance, natural, and intense colors of the High Renaissance. Mannerist artwork seeks unpredictability and disquiet. 

Here are some examples of Mannerist paintings:

Madonna with the Long Neck, Parmigianino, 1534-40

Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time, Bronzino, 1545

Entombment, Jacopo Pontormo, 1528

Autumn, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, 1573