Merry Christmas!

Agnolo Bronzino - Adoration of the Shepherds - 1539-40 - Oil on wood, 65 x 47 cm - Szépmûvészeti Múzeum, Budapest (click photo for larger image)This exquisite gem of a painting displays the “extreme refinement of execution and luxury of materials characteristic of Florentine Mannerism, with 'disegno' (drawing), sculptural modeling of forms, and enamel-like finish apparent in every detail.” The glorious blue sky was painted in costly lapis lazuli, a pigment largely reserved for paintings devoted to the Madonna. Agnolo Bronzino (1503-1572) (originally Agnolo di Cosimo) was the pupil and adopted son of the great first generation Mannerist, Jacopo Pontormo. The origin of the nickname “Bronzino” is uncertain, however it may have been based on the bronze nature of his complexion.

A Bolognese Mannerist Master

Niccolò dell’Abbate - The Continence of Scipio - c. 1555 - Oil on canvas, 127 x 115 cm - Musée du Louvre, Paris (click photo for larger image)Niccolò dell’Abbate (1509-1571) was a painter of the Bolognese school, who, along with others, introduced the post-Renaissance Italian style of Mannerism to France and helped to inspire the French classical school of landscape painting. In the early 14th century, Bologna was an intellectual center of international character. Generally, the term Bolognese School denotes the school of Italian painting which, in the 16th and 17th centuries, was the center of classicism as  it was taught by the Carracci Academy. The painting featured here is typical of the elegant art emerging in Fontainebleau inspired by Primaticcio.

Unique Among the Unique

Giuseppe Arcimboldo - Autumn - 1573 - Oil on canvas, 76 x 64 cm - Musée du Louvre, Paris (click photo for larger image)Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1526-1593) was an Italian painter, draughtsman and tapestry designer, active also in Austria and Bohemia. He came from a distinguished Milanese family that included a number of archbishops of the city. He is one of the most original artists ever--whose works can easily be mistaken for modern art. That is one of the hallmarks of Mannerism. The painting featured here is one of the series representing the four seasons, all in the Louvre. There are several other versions of the series in other museums.

Noli Me Tangere

Antonio da Correggio - Noli Me Tangere - c. 1525 - Oil on panel transferred to canvas, 130 x 103 cm - Museo del Prado, MadridNoli me tangere is a Latin phrase which means "touch me not." According to the Gospel of John 20:17 of the New Testament, these words were spoken by Jesus to Mary Magdalene, when she met him, following his resurrection. Distressed because she didn’t know where the body of her Lord had been taken, Mary didn’t immediately recognize Jesus, until he spoke her name. When she tried to reach out to him, Jesus said, “Touch me not, for I have not yet ascended to my Father.”

This subject matter has a long and continuous tradition in Christian art. Correggio (1489-1534) is often referred to as a Mannerist artist--although his work also embodies a unique synthesis of High Renaissance characteristics and approaches that would eventually become part of the Baroque tradition.

Although he wasn’t hugely successful during his lifetime--a fuller appreciation of Correggio’s work began to develop around 1600--and he has been acknowledged as a master ever since. Correggio has also been a significant resource to many Modern artists--including Pablo Picasso.

Lorenzo Lotto - Painting the Eerie with Elegance

Lorenzo Lotto – Angel Annunciating 1527 – oil on wood, 70 X 55 cm., Church of Sts. Vincent and Alexander, Ponteranica. Mannerism was a movement that challenged the standards of the Renaissance while simultaneously preserving many of them. Here we see a lovely angel contained within a delicate aura of light. However her feathery, leathery wings are a bit eerie, to say the least!Italian artist Lorenzo Lotto (c. 1480-1556) was born and trained in Venice. Yet, his work was out of step with such contemporaries as Titian and Tintoretto--two of the great masters of the Venetian Renaissance. Lotto’s vision was much more subtle--sometimes even a bit eerie--and his work is very much in sync with the tastes of today. Now regarded by many as a Mannerist--Lotto was clearly an artist way ahead of his time. His art strikes deep chords in us--and it’s pleasing to know that scholarship is finally catching up with this important figure in the history of art.