Mannerist Period: Art and Historical Context

• The Mannerist period occurred at the end of the High Renaissance, from the 1520s to around 1600.
• The art of this time did not fit the High Renaissance ideas of precision and perfection and was categorized in the 19th century.
• This often resulted in compositions that are asymmetrical or unnaturally elegant.
• Mannerist art emphasizes compositional tension and instability rather than balance and clarity.
• It is notable for its artificial (as opposed to naturalistic) qualities.

Historical and Political Changes During the Mannerist Period

• Mannerism emerged as a reaction against the harmony, balance, and naturalism of the High Renaissance.
• It rejected the classical ideals of proportion and representation in favor of exaggeration, distortion, and a departure from reality.
• The Protestant Reformation challenged the Catholic Church's authority and sparked religious conflicts across Europe.
• The Counter-Reformation was a response by the Catholic Church to reaffirm its authority and combat the spread of Protestantism.
• Mannerist art often reflected religious turmoil, with artists exploring themes of spiritual anxiety, doubt, and mysticism.
• Italy was politically fragmented, with city-states and regions controlled by different rulers, including foreign powers such as Spain and France.
• This fragmentation contributed to a sense of political instability and uncertainty, which was reflected in the art and literature of the time.
• Artists continued relying heavily on patronage from wealthy aristocrats, rulers, and church officials.
• Courts became important centers of artistic patronage and innovation.
• Rulers and nobles commissioned elaborate works of art to showcase their wealth, power, and cultural sophistication.
• Mannerist art was often characterized by a sense of refinement, sophistication, and exclusivity.
• It catered to an elite audience of wealthy patrons and connoisseurs, who appreciated its intellectual complexity and artistic virtuosity.

Religious Upheaval

• Europe was in turmoil because of religious upheaval, the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Counterreformation, and long-lasting religious wars throughout the 1500s and into the mid-1600s.

The Protestant Reformation

• The Protestant Reformation was a major religious movement in the 16th century to reform the Roman Catholic Church's practices and beliefs, leading to the establishment of Protestantism.
• The Catholic Church faced significant criticism for corruption, including the sale of indulgences, nepotism, and the opulent lifestyles of the clergy.
• The Renaissance emphasized a return to the sources and critical examination of texts.
• The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440 facilitated the rapid dissemination of ideas, including those critical of the Church.
• The translation and printing of the Bible in the language of everyday people occurred at this time.
• Increased literacy, emphasis on human experience (as seen in Dante’s Divine Comedy), and study of the Classics led to a realization of discrepancies between early Christianity and contemporary Catholic practices.
• The Reformation led to the establishment of various Protestant denominations, including Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anglicanism, and Anabaptism.
• The Reformation diminished the power of the Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire, leading to the rise of nation-states and increased power for secular rulers.
• It led to a division of Europe into the generally-northern Protestant section and the southern Catholic section.
• The Reformation also influenced art, music, and literature, promoting vernacular languages.
• The Reformation and the subsequent Counter-Reformation led to a series of religious conflicts, including the French Wars of Religion, the Thirty Years' War, and the English Civil War.
• The questioning of religious authority laid the groundwork for the later Enlightenment and the development of modern secularism.
• Protestant missionary efforts during the colonial period spread Protestantism worldwide, significantly influencing global Christianity.

Impact on Art

• Very few kingdoms permitted mixed populations of Catholic and Protestant religions.
• When the ruler of an area changed sects, the entire area had to convert.
• Many Protestant sects did not approve of religious art, resulting in the removal, destruction, or painting over of church art in Northern Europe when Catholic churches became Protestant.
• More art from the south still exists because the south didn’t have much religious conversion, and the art remained where it was created, in situ.
• In the north there was a swift change to art favoring landscapes, still-life, and portraits of guild members and business associations.