Q1. Until the 20th Century, critics and scholars had considered the work of the Mannerists to be “second-rate,” even insignificant and were reluctant to include this movement in the study of Art History.
Now that you have learned about Mannerism do you think this period style should be considered stylistically and/or culturally significant? If so, why? If not, why not? (100words)
Q2. Let’s compare Madonna of the Meadows painted by Raphael during the Renaissance with Parmigianino’s Mannerist Madonna of the Long Neck. (120words)
Discuss the similarities and differences between the two Madonnas.
Can you tell how Parmigianino mannered Raphael’s style?
What role does cultural context play in the stylistic differences?
Q3. Respond to peer’s thought. (20words each)
Peer’s thought 1: The similarities between the two paintings to state the obvious would be that they both depict the Madonna with children. Parmigianino’s uses color and also 3D pyramid technique the same as Raphael. They both show the virgin with a look of grace as well. The differ because the sense of proportion and scale is different that what’s seen and is a key indicator of the Mannerist style being seen in the painting by Parmigianino. The seen is also very ambiguous in comparison to Raphael. I can tell the style of Raphael was mannered by Parmigianino by way of the gaze the Madonna sets upon the children. Cultural context is key between these two pieces because at the time of their creation societal realities were vastly different. Raphael’s painting was during the high renaissance and has a bright primary color palate and Parmigianino’s painting was produced during a time of despair in the the roman society and shows by the high contrast and shadows and darker tones which may indicate despair.
Peer’s thought 2: Art throughout history has been analyzed in a way that allows modern day people to understand the lifestyles. To write off a certain era as insignificant, based off of the quality or style of art does more harm than good, especially when you consider how art looked in ancient periods like Egyptian. If you compared Egyptian art with the art of the High Renaissance, based on assumptions, people might believe the Renaissance to be more advance, when in truth both societies simply dealt with science and mathematics in unique ways.
For that reason, I believe Mannerism is important to learn for it’s culture significance. While stylistically it may not be as desirable or anatomically-correct like the art from the Renaissance, the art that emerged from the Mannerism era reflects the mindset of society at that point in time. Artists became unsure of the stability around them due to the changing times and the shifting of powers. As we read in the module, the Sack of Rome was historic event that affected the lives of thousands, forcing them to remove themselves from the comfort of rich patrons and artistry workshops. This is reflected in the artwork of the Mannerism period, which exhibits an overall chaotic and unsettling appearance, where everything is very uncanny. We can continue to learn what an artist might have been experience in their own world, even if Mannerism lacks proper referencing, an artist still can draw from what they know.
