9. Art of the High Italian Renaissance & Mannerism (1450-1600)

What was it about? What were the goals?

This was one of the greatest points in art history, that, in some ways, was never surpassed. The story of the Renaissance is a quest for perfection, which the greatest artists of this time, Da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, and others, were able to reach. These artists perfected artistic techniques and problems, such as composition, anatomy, linear and atmospheric perspective, foreshortening, light and shadow, and characterization. But, it wasn’t just technical tricks, these artists used their newfound knowledge, combined with philosophy and religion to make extremely profound and inspiring artworks with lessons to teach. This is the time where most artists began the switch to oil paint, which was much more versatile and rich.

A bit of historical context:

The underlying philosophy of the period:

Many artists and scholars of this time followed a philosophy of humanism, originating from ancient Greece. Today, we think of humanism as promoting independence, based on critical thinking, logic, and evidence. Most humanists today are atheists.

It wasn’t like that during the Renaissance. Humanism was seen as being well educated and well spoken. The Catholic Church embraced and adopted many concepts of humanism. Humanists like Petrarch (himself a priest) were the first to consider the time between antiquity and their own as a Dark Age, where knowledge was lost. People joke, we could be flying to the stars by now if it weren’t for the dark ages:

Renaissance humanism was based on an optimism that if enough wisdom were found and connected between ancient texts of differing faiths, that perhaps a new harmony could be achieved among the great religions of the world. It was wishful thinking, but it did allow for a greater degree of intellectual freedom in Europe... for a time...

What's Mannerism? What was it about?

How was it represented in the other arts – music, architecture, and literature?

What made it great?

This was a high point in art history. The generations of artists that followed copied these artists endlessly – the light and dark of Da Vinci, the anatomy of Michelangelo, the colour relationships and compositions of Raphael. You can see the hand of these three artists in almost everything that came next, up to the Realists of the 19th century.

Some leading figures:

Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516)

del Verrocchio, Andrea (Italian, 1435-1488)

Botticelli, Sandro (Italian, 1445-1510)

Da Vinci, Leonardo (Italian, 1452-1519)

Buonarroti, Michelangelo (Italian, 1475-1564)

Giorgione (Italian, c. 1477/8-1510)

Sanzio, Raffaello (Italian, 1483-1520)

del Sarto, Andrea (Italian, 1486–1530)

Tiziano Vecelli (Italian, 1488-1576)

Correggio, Antonio Allegri (Italian, 1489-1534)

Pontormo, Jacopo (Italian, 1494-1557)

Parmigianino (Mazzola, Girolamo)(1503-1540)

Tintoretto, Jacopo Comin Robusti (It, 1518–1594)

Veronese, Paolo (Italian, 1528-1588)

El Greco, Domenikos Theotokopoulos (1541-1614)

Some of the most famous artworks of the time:

Madonna & Child with Angels, by Fra Filippo Lippi, c. 1450-65, AP Artwork.

The Birth of Venus, by Sandro Boticelli, c. 1485, AP Artwork.

The Last Supper, by Leonardo Da Vinci, 1495-6, AP Artwork.

Pieta, by Michelangelo Buonarotti, 1498-99, AP Artwork.

The Virgin of Guadalupe, 16th century (1500-1600), AP Artwork.

Marriage of the Virgin, by Perugino, 1500-1504, AP Artwork.

David, by Michelangelo Buonarotti, 1501-04, AP Artwork.

Mona Lisa del Giocondo, by Leonardo Da Vinci, 1503-17

Mona Lisa, the Prado Copy, possibly by Salai or Francesco Melzi, 1503-16

Self-Portrait, by Raffaello Sanzio, 1504, AP Artwork.

Marriage of the Virgin, by Raffaello Sanzio, 1504, AP Artwork.

Portraits of Agnolo & Maddalena Doni, by Raffaello Sanzio, 1504-7, AP Artworks.

La Donna Gravida, by Raffaello Sanzio, 1505-6. AP Artwork.

Madonna del Prato, by Raffaello Sanzio, 1506, AP Artwork.

The Entombment of Christ (Pieta), by Raffaello Sanzio, 1507, AP Artwork.

The Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo Buonarotti, 1508-12, AP Artwork.

The Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, plan, by Michelangelo Buonarotti, 1508-12, AP Artwork.

The School of Athens, by Raffaello Sanzio, 1509-11, AP Artwork.

 AB XIII, Sonnet 111 and self-portrait by Michelangelo Buonarotti, 1509-12, AP Artwork.

Sleeping Venus, by Giorgione, 1510, AP Artwork.

Sketch for a Seated Figure, by Michelangelo Buonarotti, 1510-11, AP Artwork.

Portrait of Pope Julius II, by Raffaello Sanzio, in 1511, AP Artwork.

Galatea, by Raffaello Sanzio, 1513, AP Artwork.

The Rebellious Slave, by Michelangelo Buonarotti, 1513, AP Artwork.

Moses, by Michelangelo Buonarotti, 1513-14, AP Artwork.

The Dying Slave, by Michelangelo Buonarotti, 1513-16, AP Artwork.

The Transfiguration of Christ, by Raffaello Sanzio, c. 1516-20, AP Artwork.

The Martyrdom of St. Agatha, by Sebastiano del Piombo, 1520, AP Artwork.

Deposition From the Cross (Pieta), by Jacopo da Pontormo, 1525-28, AP Artwork.

The Tomb of Giuliano de’ Medici, by Michelangelo Buonarotti, 1526-33, AP Artwork.

Cup (for a birthing tray), by Francesco Xanto, 1530, AP Artwork.

The Bearded Captive, by Michelangelo Buonarotti, 1530-34, AP Artwork.

Atlas, Captive, by Michelangelo Buonarotti, 1530-34, AP Artwork.

St. Mary Magdalene, Penitent, by Tiziano Vecellio, 1531-1535, AP Artwork.

The Last Judgment, by Michelangelo Buonarotti, the Sistine Chapel, The Vatican City in Rome, 1534-1541, AP Artwork.

Pietà for Vittoria, by Michelangelo Buonarotti, 1534-1544, AP Artwork.

Piazza and palazzi of the Capitoline Hill in Rome, designed by Michelangelo Buonarotti, AP Artwork.

The Venus of Urbino, by Tiziano Vecellio, 1538, AP Artwork.

Portrait of Pope Paul III, by Tiziano Vecellio, 1543, AP Artwork.

Portrait of Daniele da Volterra, by Michelangelo Buonarotti, 1545, AP Artwork.

The Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Rome, designed by Michelangelo Buonarotti, built from 1546-1564, AP Artwork.

Deposition From the Cross (The Florentine Pietà), by Michelangelo Buonarotti, 1547, AP Artwork.

The Tomb of Michelangelo Buonarotti, designed by Giorgio Vasari, constructed from 1564-1576, AP Artwork.