Mannerism: The Renaissance's Rebellious Offspring

For some, it’s seen as an unspiritual distortion that shattered the serene perfection of the Renaissance. But its bold, unconventional and electrifying spirit deserves attention in art history.

Mannerism, with its odd, even unsettling, strange proportions and crowded compositions, has to be one of European history’s most engaging and, quite frankly, bizarre art movements.

But ever since I was taught about Mannerism and was shown the elongated figures of Parmigianino’s Madonna with the Long Neck in my art history class, I’ve always been captiva…