MANNERISM

Mannerism is an artistic style and movement that developed in Europe from the
later years of the High Renaissance, around the1520s, to the end of the 16th
century when Baroque started to replace it. Mannerism was born as a reaction
to the harmonious classicism and naturalism of the Renaissance. Whereas High
Renaissance art emphasized proportion, balance and classical beauty,
Mannerism was inclined to exaggerate these qualities with paintings that
present asymmetrical or unnaturally elegant compositions. Mannerism
favouring the compositional tension and instability with its artificiality and
sophistication (which are the key features of the movement) acts as a bridge
between the idealized style of Renaissance art and the dramatic theatricality of
Baroque. Mannerist paintings present compositions that have no perspective or
proportions, the space is irregular and figures are characterized by elastic
elongation of the limbs, small head and stretches of the stylized face. Their
poses seem difficult and artificial. Unlike the balanced, natural and dramatic
colours of the High Renaissance, Mannerism compositions are enriched with
contrasting and intense colours. This intensity of Mannerism with its intellectual
aestheticism and its experimentation in forms developed into an attractive style
that reminds the modern expressionist tendencies in art. Mannerism developed
in Italy and became a formative influence on the styles of several Italian painters
who were active during the first half of the 16th century, such as Pontormo,
Tintoretto and Giulio Romano. In 1530 Mannerism began to spread outside
Italy when Rosso Fiorentino brought the style in France. From this moment and
on Mannerism spread throughout central and northern Europe with several
northern painters, such as Hendrik Goltzius and Hans von Aachen, came to
Rome to study and practice the mannerism style. Thanks to its high level of
international popularity Mannerism lasted for the whole century, until 1600
when Caravaggio and his paintings brought this problematic style to an end,
leading to the rise of Baroque. Learn more about the movement in History of
Mannerism.
 BAROQUE
The Baroque is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, and
other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1740s.
In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including the Iberian
Peninsula it continued, together with new styles, until the first decade of the
19th century. It followed Renaissance art and Mannerism and preceded the
Rococo (in the past often referred to as "late Baroque") and Neoclassical styles. It
was encouraged by the Catholic Church as a means to counter the simplicity and
austerity of Protestant architecture, art, and music, though Lutheran Baroque
art developed in parts of Europe as well. The Baroque style used contrast,
movement, exuberant detail, deep colour, grandeur, and surprise to achieve a
sense of awe. The style began at the start of the 17th century in Rome, then
spread rapidly to France, northern Italy, Spain, and Portugal, then to Austria,
southern Germany, and Russia. By the 1730s, it had evolved into an even more
flamboyant style, called rocaille or Rococo, which appeared in France and Central
Europe until the mid to late 18th century. In the decorative arts, the style
employs plentiful and intricate ornamentation. The departure from Renaissance
classicism has its own ways in each country. But a general feature is that
everywhere the starting point is the ornamental elements introduced by the
Renaissance. The classical repertoire is crowded, dense, overlapping, loaded, in
order to provoke shock effects. New motifs introduced by Baroque are: the
cartouche, trophies and weapons, baskets of fruit or flowers, and others, made
in marquetry, stucco, or carved.