Mannerism
In visual culture, we learn about many historical biography of the famous artist around the renaissance era. But most importantly, one word that catches my eyes in this week is, Mannerism. At the first, I thought mannerism is something else, but after read the files and found some other resources, it comes clear and I have misunderstood. Well I will re-explain what I have read and try to understand what is mannerism, the kind of mannerism, it affect, and most famous artist during that era.
Mannerism is a word of style in Italian language, mannerism mean style or manner. It is to describe one work, example Davinci mannerism and Raphael Mannerism. Before mannerism, the art era would be died because of Rome new ruler. Charles V takes over Rome and he began the emperor that time. He is very not a person who supports art and artist. Therefore the art and artist during that time almost lost and never being as good as the previous renaissance. The church seems take control of art during that time and they believe exposing nudity in art is prohibited. During that time, a man called Martin Luther, he began stirring Germany and people start to question the authority of church. By his action, many people began to do revolution, but somehow the church is too strong for them. Church never tolerates the renaissance that time. So at the end, art become nothing, it become common and no value at all.
The art of mannerism is very opposite with the art of high renaissance. If high renaissance more depth into the artwork, details, and feels, natural, and balance in harmony, opposite of mannerism, it is full of power, they exposed evil and nudity in wrong way, and they contain artwork of uncommon. This is probably the cause it being prohibited by the church. But actually the mannerism is like post modernism, people start thinking new things to express their self, but it being turn down and look like people see them as the way to protest the authority. One other specific thing in the mannerism is, they last longer than the renaissance and high renaissance, about 80 years long! Despite of being rejected by church, they seem being loved by the society.
How is the artist during the mannerism? Michael Angelo is one of the famous artists during that time; he is also one of most influenced person during that time. Michael Angelo becomes the icon of mannerism due to his painting. All those painting resembles the meaning of renaissance but also they style that he used is really depth into mystical. Like gods, angles, and heaven. His artwork focusing on how he could express his art with the touch of a bit f evilness, but still it look so beautiful and never being protested by the church. The main thing in the mannerism is nudity. To expose and express one is by painting the nudity, even though I can’t find the reason of why they paint nudity mostly instead of something normal like what were in the renaissance. This is most likely what we called as post modernism. Both of those want to express one mind in something unique way to attract people attention, but within the range of tolerance.
The mannerism is actually the term to describe someone specific style. You can probably change the word of style into mannerism to describe one artist work which is very special and only he/she has. Example in Raphael mannerism and Michael Mannerism. Both of them produce the masterpiece in the era of renaissance, but Michael is more depth into working on painting and sculpture. Both of this them become the most influence person in the mannerism era. Mannerism also could be called as the late renaissance era. It is the closing of the renaissance era. By understanding the mannerism, I could understand that, from painting we could express our mid to protest what is inappropriate one. Nudity is not the wrong way to express, but different culture will see it in different perspective, perhaps this make the church like prohibited the art of nudity in that era. Mannerism is not the art of nudity, it is the art of new era to express one mind into something unexpected.
references:
Britania, Ecyclopedia. “Mannerism.” Accessed October 4, 2014. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/362538/Mannerism.
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