During this quarter, I really enjoyed expanding my knowledge of the Renaissance. It was very interesting learning about the progression of Renaissance art throughout Europe. Italian artists were inspired by the styles and ideas of the Classical Era, the Northern Renaissance, and other artistic periods. The realistic artwork of Italy was influenced by humanism, illusionism, and a rebirth of classical history. Artists celebrated human achievement and worked to create realistic paintings that correctly illustrated perception and depth. It was interesting to observe a refinement of styles throughout the Renaissance such as naturalism, idealism, and the depiction of anatomy.
I was also very intrigued by the mannerist artwork of the 16th century. Before this class, I had never heard of the mannerist style before. During this period, artists began creating chaotic, unnatural artwork that would disturb their viewers. This artwork was a response to the unease caused by the formation of Protestantism. The naturalism and realism that was popular in the Renaissance shifted to an interest in creating artificial and stylized characters. This new artwork moved away from harmony and balance and instead focused on unrealistic body proportions and unstable compositions. My favorite painting from this period was Parmigiano’s oil painting known as Madonna with the Long Neck. In this painting, the Virgin Mary holds the Christ Child in her lap as a group of young girls gaze upon the sleeping child. This image is obviously mannerist because of the unnatural, elongation of all of the figures. Mary has an unusually small head, an incredibly long neck, abnormally large thighs, and her entire body is extraordinarily elongated. The Christ Child is also quite disproportioned and looks to be the size of a four year old, not a newborn baby. The shift from realistic, anatomically correct figures to these unnatural bodies is very fascinating. I was also interested that Parmigiano includes some references to earlier artistic styles. Although the figures have very strange proportions, the composition and scene within Madonna with the Long Neck are still very similar to previous Renaissance styles. There is somewhat of a triangular composition and the background has some classical references, such as a large granite pillar.
My favorite piece of artwork from the quarter was The Arnolfini Portrait produced by Jan Van Eyck in 1434 during the Northern Renaissance. This portrait is a full-length image, depicting a man and a woman holding hands within a lavishly decorated room. The man stands solemnly with one hand raised while the woman, who appears to be pregnant, holds one hand over her stomach. Records show that this portrait was commissioned by the wealthy Arnolfini family however, it is unknown exactly who and what is represented in the painting. Although some historians believe the portrait represents a wedding, recent theories speculate that the painting illustrates a widowed husband and his deceased wife. On one side of the painting, where the husband stands, the candles above him are lit and the mirror is surrounded by images of Jesus’ life. On the side of the wife, the candles have burnt out and the mirror includes images from after Jesus’ death. The symbolism and mystery in this painting were incredibly fascinating. 
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