Mannerist painter, draftsman, and etcher, Francesco Mazzola, known as Parmigianino (1503-1540), was an influential artist in the generation following Raphael and Michelangelo. Despite a growing interest in mannerist painting, very little has been published on Parmigianino outside of Italy. In fact, the last major work in English was published half a century ago. In this long overdue work, Cecil Gould presents the art and life of one of the most masterful, sensitive, and elegant of mannerist painters. Born into a family of artists, the precocious young man learned his craft in Parma. There he worked alongside other painters, including one of the great artists of the century, Correggio: Parmigianino's whole life was to be marked by a strong and troubled link with this senior master. Early in his career Parmigianino lived in Rome and became familiar with classical models and famous Renaissance works. After the sack of Rome in 1527 he left for Bologna, where he produced etchings and developed his intensely personal painting style, notable for its manipulation of light and its decisively unnatural perspective.
The famous Madonna with the Long Neck and Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror exemplify this style, marked by elongated limbs, distorted perspectives, and sophisticated elegance. The author's text, combining rigorous historical research with clear and incisive prose, provides a fresh and fascinating discussion of this Northern Italian master and his art. The volume includes more than sixty paintings and frescoes-from religious scenes to subtly powerful portraits-as well as drawings and etchings. The informative text presents the works in relation to their sources, techniques, and patrons; as a result, the author offers new attributions and revisions of the standard chronology. This definitive portrait of Parmigianino will appeal to anyone interested in art history or the legacy of the Renaissance.
