Editing Italian art (section)

== Renaissance art ==
{{Main|Italian Renaissance painting|Italian Renaissance sculpture}}

During the Middle Ages, painters and sculptors sought to convey a spiritual quality in their work. Artistic emphasis was placed on religious symbolism and conveying the sacred nature of Christian subjects, often at the expense of realistic representation. The goal was to inspire devotion and elevate the viewer’s thoughts toward the divine.

In contrast, Renaissance painters and sculptors, much like Renaissance writers, aimed to depict people and nature with greater realism. Influenced by the study of classical antiquity, they embraced observation, proportion, anatomy, and perspective to create more lifelike and emotionally resonant works. Figures were rendered with naturalistic detail and individuality, and compositions often incorporated settings inspired by real landscapes or classical architecture.

While medieval architects designed towering cathedrals to evoke the majesty of God and the humility of humanity, Renaissance architects turned to classical Roman models, emphasizing harmony, balance, and human-scale proportions. Buildings were designed according to mathematical ratios derived from the human body, as exemplified in the writings of [[Vitruvius]] and in works like [[Leon Battista Alberti]]’s ''De re aedificatoria''. Ornamentation drew heavily from ancient Roman motifs such as columns, pilasters, friezes, and domes.

=== Early Renaissance ===
[[File:El nacimiento de Venus, por Sandro Botticelli.jpg|thumb|300px|''[[The Birth of Venus (Botticelli)|The Birth of Venus]]'' by [[Sandro Botticelli]], 1484–1485]]

During the early 14th century, the Florentine painter [[Giotto di Bondone]] became the first artist since antiquity to depict nature and the human form in a convincingly realistic manner. He produced influential frescoes for churches in Assisi, Florence, Padua, and Rome. Giotto sought to render figures with a sense of physical presence and emotional expression, placing them in spatially coherent and naturalistic settings.

A remarkable group of [[Florentine Renaissance art|Florentine artists]]—including the painter [[Masaccio]], the sculptor [[Donatello]], and the architect [[Filippo Brunelleschi]]—emerged in the early 15th century, laying the foundations of the High Renaissance.

Masaccio's finest work is a series of frescoes painted around 1427 in the [[Brancacci Chapel]] of the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence. These frescoes depict Biblical scenes with dramatic realism and emotional gravity. Masaccio was among the first to apply Brunelleschi's recently developed system of linear perspective, allowing for more convincing spatial depth in painting.

Donatello revolutionized sculpture by reintroducing the classical ideals of the human form and individual expression. His works display a remarkable attention to anatomy and psychological depth. Among his most celebrated pieces is the bronze statue of David, completed in the 1430s. Standing approximately {{convert|5|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} tall, it is notable as the first life-sized, free-standing nude statue created in Western art since antiquity.

Brunelleschi was the first major Renaissance architect to systematically revive the forms and principles of ancient Roman architecture. He incorporated classical elements such as arches, columns, and harmonious proportions into his designs. One of his finest achievements is the [[Pazzi Chapel]] in Florence, begun in 1442 and completed around 1465, which exemplifies clarity, balance, and classical restraint. Brunelleschi also pioneered the use of ''linear perspective'', a mathematical method for rendering three-dimensional space on a flat surface.

=== High Renaissance ===
{{Main|High Renaissance}}
[[File:Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) - The Last Supper (1495-1498).jpg|thumb|300px|[[Leonardo da Vinci]]'s ''[[The Last Supper (Leonardo da Vinci)|The Last Supper]]'', {{circa|1495–1498}}]]

The arts of the late 15th century and early 16th century were dominated by three extraordinary figures: [[Leonardo da Vinci]], [[Michelangelo]], and [[Raphael]].

[[Leonardo da Vinci]] produced two of the most iconic works of Renaissance art: the wall painting ''[[The Last Supper (Leonardo da Vinci)|The Last Supper]]'' and the portrait ''[[Mona Lisa]]''. Leonardo was renowned not only for his art but also for his insatiable curiosity and scientific exploration. He meticulously studied the human body, producing detailed anatomical drawings, and he created thousands of pages of sketches and notes in which he documented his observations of nature, machines, and the human form. Leonardo's deep intellectual engagement with the world made him the quintessential Renaissance man and a symbol of the era's spirit of learning and discovery.<ref>James Hankins, Ph.D., Professor of History, Harvard University.<br> Hankins, James. "Renaissance." ''World Book Advanced.'' World Book, 2011. Web. 1 October 2011.</ref>

[[File:'David' by Michelangelo Fir JBU005 denoised.jpg|thumb|left|170px|''[[David (Michelangelo)|David]]'' by [[Michelangelo]], 1501–1504]]

Michelangelo was a master of many disciplines: painting, sculpture, architecture, and poetry. Widely regarded as one of the greatest sculptors in history,<ref>Pope-Hennessy, John Wyndham. [https://books.google.com/books?id=beFOAAAAYAAJ&q= ''Italian High Renaissance and Baroque sculpture.''] Phaidon Press, 1996. p. 13. Web. 5 October 2011.<br>"''Michelangelo was the first artist in history to be recognized by his contemporaries as a genius in our modern sense. Canonized before his death, he has remained magnificent, formidable, and remote. Some of the impediments to establishing close contact with his mind are inherent in his own uncompromising character; he was the greatest sculptor who ever lived, and the greatest sculptor is not necessarily the most approachable.''"</ref> Michelangelo's skill in portraying the human body is exemplified in his sculptures, such as the iconic statue of ''David'' (1501–1504), which conveys both physical beauty and intense psychological depth. He also painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512, creating one of the most celebrated masterpieces of Western art. These frescoes depict Biblical and classical subjects and are renowned for their powerful representation of the human form and spiritual intensity.

Raphael's paintings are known for their harmonious composition, soft outlines, and graceful use of color. He was a master of perspective and proportion and is particularly famous for his Madonnas and portraits. One of his greatest works is the fresco ''[[The School of Athens]]'', a grand depiction of classical Greek philosophers and scientists. The work reflects Raphael's admiration for classical antiquity, blending elements of ancient Greek and Roman art with the intellectual climate of the Renaissance.

The architect [[Donato Bramante]] is often regarded as the creator of High Renaissance architecture. In 1499, he moved to Rome, where he began his work with the design of the ''[[San Pietro in Montorio#The Tempietto|Tempietto]]'' (1502), a small, centralized dome structure that draws inspiration from Classical temple architecture. Pope Julius II appointed Bramante as the papal architect, and together they devised a plan to replace the 4th-century Old St. Peter's Basilica with a new, grand church. Though Bramante's vision was not completed in his lifetime, his designs had a profound influence on the development of Renaissance architecture.

=== Mannerism ===
{{Main|Mannerism}}
[[File:Salt Cellar.jpg|thumb|300px|''[[Cellini Salt Cellar]]'', 1543]]

[[Mannerism]] was an elegant, courtly style that emerged in the later stages of the [[Italian Renaissance]]. It flourished particularly in Florence, Italy, where prominent figures such as [[Giorgio Vasari]] and [[Agnolo Bronzino]] were key representatives. The style was later introduced to the French court by [[Rosso Fiorentino]] and [[Francesco Primaticcio]]. The Venetian painter [[Tintoretto]] was also influenced by Mannerism.

Mannerism's characteristic approach to painting, with elongated figures, exaggerated poses, and artificial compositions, influenced other art forms as well. In architecture, [[Giulio Romano]] is one of the most notable examples of Mannerist influence. The Italian sculptor [[Benvenuto Cellini]] and the Flemish-born [[Giambologna]] were central figures in Mannerist sculpture, known for their dynamic and often exaggerated forms.<ref>Eric M. Zafran, Ph.D., Curator, Department of European Paintings and Sculpture, Wadsworth Atheneum.<br> Zafran, Eric M. "Mannerism." ''World Book Advanced.'' World Book, 2011. Web. 1 October 2011.</ref>

Some historians view Mannerism as a decline or distortion of High Renaissance classicism, while others consider it an independent, complete style in its own right. The period is generally dated from around 1520 to 1600, often seen as an intermediary between the High Renaissance and the Baroque era.