The Sack of Rome in 1527 had a long-lasting impact on the cultural and artistic life of papal Rome.
Italian Mannerism
Cellini's salt cellar was prized as luxury tableware and was also an intellectual conversation starter in renaissance France.
Benvenuto Cellini, Salt Cellar
Sofonisba Anguissola's portraits of the Spanish royal family attest to her skill and fame as a painter.
Sofonisba Anguissola, Infanta Catalina Micaela with a ...
This altarpiece lacks setting and symbols, but it’s hardly empty. Moving figures fill the space.
Jacopo Pontormo, Entombment (or Deposition from the ...
What is mannerism, and why did it develop in the 16th century?
Mannerism, an introduction
With a complex, multi-figure composition, this monumental sculpture captures a moment from ancient Roman history.
Giambologna, Abduction of a Sabine Woman
Female painters were rare in sixteenth-century Italy. In self-portraits, Sofonisba made sure to appear virtuous.
Sofonisba Anguissola
Forget mythology—Cellini makes his skill the subject. Defying skeptics, he cast this upright bronze without flaw.
Benvenuto Cellini, Perseus with the Head of ...
Riddle me this. Bronzino’s allegorical painting is one of the most disturbing and curious in all of art history.
Bronzino, An Allegory with Venus and Cupid
What a show-off! Hoping to win a papal commission, the confident young painter foregrounds his hand—and his skill.
Parmigianino, Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror
Rosso plays fast and loose with tradition, manipulating Christ’s body and transcending High Renaissance strictures.
Rosso Fiorentino, The Dead Christ with Angels
Mother and son gaze out with an aristocratic aloofness, yet they lack an inner life. Is all that brocade a shell?
Bronzino, Portrait of Eleonora di Toledo with ...
What happened? In this twist on Renaissance art, Parmigianino distorts human anatomy to absurd effect.
Parmigianino, Madonna of the Long Neck
Mother and son gaze out with an aristocratic aloofness, yet they lack an inner life. Is all that brocade a shell?
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