Art Column
by Leaf
Ah, December. I can't believe 2014 is almost over, but I guess everyone says that every year. For some, December means one thing: Christmas. As a Christian who doesn't celebrate Christmas, December is always awkward and a little lonely for me. Last month I wrote an article on the Renaissance, which preceded Mannerism, and as there is a little bit of a parallel between my December predicament and Mannerism, it came to mind as a suitable article topic.
(I am not an art historian. All information comes from various websites and this is only meant to be a sort of introduction to Mannerism, so it is in no way in-depth and I apologise in advance for any incorrect details)
Mannerism (from the Italian word maniera, meaning 'manner' or 'style') was different from the Renaissance in many ways, and some of this change was due to religious turmoil. Although it'd be a vast (and somewhat incorrect) generalisation to say the Renaissance was a religious movement, it did focus on the idea of man and God. Mannerism went from 1520 to the early 1600s. In the mid-1500s, Copernicus' model of heliocentricity and developments and increased faith in science led to conflict between citizens and the Catholic church, and this conflict and a wider spectrum of ideas deviating from those of the church was reflected in the art of the period.
Whereas Renaissance art was focused on harmony and softer tones, Mannerism was less naturalistic and had less balance among its compositional elements (read the Wikipedia article on composition for an explanation on compositional harmony). It is also known for its elongated form.
Parmagianino's Madonna of the Long Neck is an excellent illustration of the Mannerist style.
Figura serpentinata is a style that was often used in Mannerism paintings and sculpture. It's basically where the torso and the lower limbs are facing opposite directions, producing a sort of contorted, serpentine form.
Giambologna's 1599 sculpture Hercules and Nessus.
An example of Mannerist architecture: the Grão Vasco Museum in Viseu, Portugal. The architecture was also influenced by Renaissance and Baroque styles.
Well, that's it for Mannerism; I couldn't find much information on it (and my local library is awfully lacking). Have a great December.
-Leaf