MANNERISM

A new style called Mannerism began developing in the late Renaissance, soon after the sack of Rome in 1527 (the result of a political conflict between Pope Clement VII and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V). It was called "mannerism" because of the manner or "style" of the artists. It was a noticeable style, more decorative than realistic. High Renaissance artists strove to convince the viewers that they were looking at a real scene by using shading, perspective, and a sculpted look in the paintings. Mannerists, on the other hand, did not worry if their work looked more artificial. In fact, artifice is a feature closely associated with Mannerism.

OBJECTIVES

• Discuss the evolution of Mannerism.

• Explain the differences between Mannerism and High Renaissance art.

• Discuss the contributions of various influential mannerist artists.

• Identify characteristics of Mannerist painting.

• Describe the work of El Greco.

VOCABULARY

MANNERISM IN THE LATE RENAISSANCE

Do you believe in the possibility of miracles?

Watch this music video: Saint Teresa by Joan Osborne, inspired by a sixteenth-century saint.

Saint Teresa of Avila was the inspiration of Joan Osborne's video. This saint has been inspiring artists for centuries.

Born in 1515, Saint Teresa joined the Carmelite nuns of Spain when she was still in her teens. An attractive, intelligent, and determined woman, Teresa of Avila decided that the Carmelite Order of nuns was too lax for her tastes. She established a separate order of nuns, which became known as the Barefoot Carmelites. Teresa was extremely devout.

This atmosphere of mysticism and intense religiosity pervaded Spain in the sixteenth century. Not all of those affected by it were later named saints, but some of them, such as El Greco, have left us astonishing works of art that seem pretty miraculous in themselves

Mannerism — Late Renaissance

So what characteristics help us recognize a Mannerist painting? The following:

• imbalanced composition (often circular rather than pyramid)

• visual complexity and ambiguity

• unusual depictions of traditional themes

• themes of courtly behavior and sophistication

Mannerism, as you can imagine, was more individualized and unpredictable. There is a sense of ambiguity in many of the Mannerist paintings. In other words, it's difficult to understand the meaning or storyline of the painting. There is a deliberate lack of clarity in Mannerist work that you do not usually see in the work of the High Renaissance artists.

During this Mannerist, or late Renaissance, period, a number of distinguished masters emerged in all the arts.

MANNERIST ARTISTS – PARMIGIANINO, FIORENTINO, AND TINTORETTO

You've already studied Jacopo da Pontormo's most famous painting. Now let's look at some of the artists who followed him.

MANNERIST ARTISTS – PALLADIO AND EL GRECO

El Greco

Domenikos Theokópoulous was born in 1541 in Crete. He usually signed his works with his full Greek name and was called "El Greco" as a nickname, in reference to his Greek origin.

He was raised in a prosperous family and received his initial training as an icon painter. At twenty-six, he traveled to Venice to study. Three years later, he moved to Rome, where he opened a workshop and created a number of works.

In 1577, he moved to Spain to work for the Church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo; here he painted his masterpiece, the Assumption of the Virgin (1577).

As El Greco's art evolved, it developed more and more of an individualized Mannerist style:

We can identify the following characteristics in El Greco's work:

• intense emotional feeling

• dramatic use of light

• unusual colors and groupings

• elongated proportions

• sense of movement

In 1586, El Greco painted one of his greatest masterpieces: The Burial of the Count of Orgaz .

The painting is of a 14th century nobleman who is being placed in his grave by the Saints Stephen and Augustine. The soul of the nobleman is shown rising alongside of angels, saints, and other political figures of the time. The persons encircling the main figures are real people of the time, and like Raphael, El Greco sneaks a self-portrait into the crowd.

What's especially interesting about the picture is that it consists of two different styles. The bottom part of the picture, which is taking place on earth, is realistic. The faces are small portraits of individuals. The celestial sphere, on the other hand, shows a swirling cloud and elongated, ethereal figures with flowing robes.

Examine the details of the painting, which displays an emotional intensity that resonated with the devout Spanish Catholics.

LET'S REVIEW!

In this lesson, you have covered the following topics:

• the hallmarks of the Renaissance — centralization and harmony

• mannerism as a reaction against harmony

• the distorted proportions of the human figure in Mannerism

• Pontormo as the first significant Mannerist painter

Complete the quiz before moving on.