Mrs. Songer
Modern Communication
Due 5/4/15
The Art of the Renaissance through Michelangelo
Born in 1475, Michelangelo touched the world through his distinctive form of creativity. He is known for many of his works and contributions to art and science. Michelangelo was a painter, sculptor, architect, and poet and changed the way people think of anatomy. Some of his famous works include the Pieta and David sculptures and the Sistine Chapel ceiling paintings. He has been called the “greatest artist of his age” and the “genius of the Renaissance.” Before the Renaissance, paintings and sculpture were considered shallow and unstylistic. Paintings and sculpture were unimportant to individuals before Michelangelo. Michelangelo changed …show more content…
One style that Michelangelo influenced was called Mannerism. Mannerism lasted for around 80 years throughout the 16th century. Mannerism is a form of art that combines the use of colors, space and anatomy to show intense feeling (“Mannerism”). Artists of the Mannerist era tried to move away from classical proportions to create more imagination. Its art includes clashing colors, contorted figures, elongated limbs and bizarre themes from the Christian, mythical and classical perspective. Artists usually focus on the alteration of appearance in figures rather than meaning (“Mannerism”). Michelangelo influenced mannerism because of his style of contorting figures and breaking the rules of classical art. Also his fame would give other artists and additional inspiration to imitate his …show more content…
The painting portrays Jesus slumped over and covered in the many arms of angels. This painting contains Mannerism because the way Jesus is slumped over in the painting is very contorted and out of balance. An example of a one of Michelangelo paintings that contain Mannerism is called the Libyan Sibyl on the Sistine Chapel. The painting portrays a woman wearing an orange dress with her body twisted in an unnatural state while carrying two pillars. The first half of her body is facing straight while the second half of her body is sideways. This painting is Mannerist because her body has abnormal proportions that are unbalanced and