Andrea Mantegna's Art During The Northern Renaissance Period

The reason for choosing this piece of work was because out of all the books I had gone through pertaining to the Northern Renaissance period, this one jumped out at me the most. The incredible attention to detail and the intrigue of possible symbolic meaning behind it drew me towards wanting to learn more about it.
Andrea Mantegna became well known for his attention to detail and linear sharpness of his art during the Northern Renaissance period, and he stands out for his devotion to classical antiquity which was displayed in many of his paintings. Mantegna’s ability to capitalize on the emotional content of his paintings and create illusions and perspective in the environment in many of his works, helped separated him from other artist during his time. It was during his period that there produced a climate where the collecting of ancient antiquities and the imitation of the culture of ancient Rome was on the rise, and it is clearly shown in his paintings. During the …show more content…
In this case, the good being the Virtues, which are seen waiting in the sky. According to Stemp, the Virtues which include Fortitude, Temperance, and Justice were chased out by these vices, and the garden became overrun and occupied by them. The Virtues appear to be observing what is taking place and are waiting for the garden to be cleared of the vices so they can return. Justice is shown dressed in blue, holding a sword and a balance scale, which are common symbolic meanings of Justice. Temperance is shown wearing a green garment pouring liquid in between two pitchers that are supposed to symbolize restraint. The Virtue Fortitude dressed in red is holding a club with what appears to be a lion wrapped around her. When it comes to Roman symbolism, the lion is usually meant to represent