Rennaissance and Mannerist Essay - 597 Words

The art work from the 1400s to the 1600s showed a drastic change after 1520 when Mannerism was brought about. After a while the Mannerist style was known to not be such a good thing. People saw the paintings as not classical and distorted or out of proportion. Mannerism seemed to coincide with a period of political and religious unrest which lead to and age of anxiety and crisis where the clarity and confidence of the High Renaissance was lost (Benton and DiYanni 37-38). Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Parmigianino show some differences in Renaissance and Mannerism with their works of art of the Madonna. Leonardo da Vincis Madonna of the Rocks was painted in 1483 at the time of the High Renaissance. Everything is directly proportional†¦show more content†¦The column in the background on the right symbolizes the torture of Jesus, because he was bound to a column (Benton and DiYanni 38). The small prophet in the bottom right hand corner just seems to take up room where there was not much detail with out him. After discussing both Renaissance paintings and Mannerist paintings it goes to show that during the Renaissance times the artist cared more about the realistic details that were put into the art. Unlike in Parmigianinos painting of the Madonna she gives her an unrealistically long neck and fingers. During the Renaissance it was all about the Church and representing it, once the sack of Rome happened in 1527 that is when everything went down hill and people began to paint in the distorted, uneven manner of Mannerism. In both the Madonna of the Rocks and the Madonna of the Meadows there is a sense of peace for them both being out in nature where everything is pure. Also they both seem happier; the expressions on the faces seem less concerned as in Parmigianinos. Benton, Janetta Rebold, and Robert DiYanni. Art and Cultures: An Introduction to the Humanities. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education., 2005. Jcsatterlee. Raphaels Madonna of the Meadows. Online Posting. 5 Jan. 2006. Blogger: Looking for the Artist in Me.