Renaissance period
is a style that came to put an elaborate statement in the field of art in the Renaissance period greatly. Despite being regarded as a subset of the renaissance, which was the most impactful movement in the history of art, mannerism was not being held in the same esteem as the works of art that had been done before. Despite this fact, the distinct aesthetic value of this style enchants its lovers continuously (Bodart, 2008). This period-style should be considered culturally and stylistically important as it was one of the hidden gems in the history of art that were most fascinating. In Italy, the mannerist styles and works were affected by several forms.
Historically, artists in the early renaissance were looking to antiquity as a source of inspiration. The interest that was found informed the high renaissance, characterized by figures that were naturalistic and precise mathematically using perspective. The period of high renaissance went from 1490 to around 1530 when mannerism, or the late renaissance started. Mannerist artists, on their side, had interests in perfecting artists from high renaissance and not to make a replica of them. They exaggerated the principles from earlier artists which resulted in a work that favored self-expressionism unlike going after idealism. These artists created a sense of elegance that was sophisticated by using their skills to manipulate compositional elements (Bodart, 2008).
Artistically, mannerists were associated with a lavish adornment of decorating sculptures using elaborate ornamentation, such as crafting portraits with found objects, vegetation, and animals. After abandoning these natural colors used by painters in high renaissance, mannerists used tones that were artificial and often garish. These palettes took Renaissance to new levels due to their rich colors as discussed by Bodart, (2008).
Socially, Michelangelo was a great model of mannerism whose works were greatly imitated by several artists in his time. Artists would break into his house and steal his drawings for painting and sculpting. There was also a spirit of competition for commissions where artists were taught on emphasizing virtuosic styles by their patrons. The move helped artists to innovate new approaches and scenes that were illuminated dramatically (Hansen, 2013).
Politically, mannerism spread especially from Rome after several artists working there fled in 1527 after the Sac of Rome. In their process of searching for employment outside the city, they disseminated their work throughout Europe and Italy, with the style mainly being present through books that were illustrated and through prints. The European rulers bought the books from the Italians while the artists that went to work in the North giving rise to the Northern Mannerism