Rosso Fiorentino
Full Name:Giovanni Battista di Jacopo
Short Name:Rosso Alternative
Names:Il Rosso
Date of Birth:1494
Date of Death:1540
Focus:Paintings, DrawingsMediums:Oil, Wood, Stone,
OtherSubjects:Figure, SceneryArt
Movement:Mannerism
Mannerism Movement:-Mannerist artists emerged from the ideals of Michelangelo, Raphael, and other Late Renaissance artists, but their focus on style and technique outweighed the meaning of the subject matter. Often, figures had graceful, elongated limbs, small heads, stylized features and exaggerated details. This yielded more complex, stylized compositions rather than relying on the classical ideals of harmonious composition and linear perspective used by their Renaissance predecessors.
Early life:-Born in Florence at the tail end of the 15th century, Rosso Fiorentino, given the birth name Giovanni Battisto di Jacopo, exhibited a wild talent from a young age.
Though his headstrong personality prevented him from joining the ranks of successful apprentices for a while, by the age of 17 he managed to enter the workshop of a certain successful painter, Andrea del Sarto.
During this time, working with another young and similarly ambitious contemporary named Jacopo Pontormo, Fiorentino helped develop a unique and abrasive new style of painting which came to be known as Mannerism
Middle years:-After a few years of mild success and modest commissions Fiorentino's restless nature kicked in and he went to Rome to try to rival the work of the great masters.There, he took cues from the most up to date work that Michelangelo had completed on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, along with the latest portraiture of Raphael.
Advanced years:-He lived out his final years in splendor and wealth in France, before allegedly committing suicide due to a misunderstanding with a friend in 1540 at the woefully young age of 45, at the height of commercial and critical success.
Influences on the artist:- Influenced initially by the work of Michelangelo (1475-1564) and Gothic engraving, he soon switched away from the aesthetics of High Renaissance art to the new style of Mannerism, which allowed his expressiveness greater scope. Around 1523 he moved from Florence to Rome, where he fell under the influence of the late works of Raphael (1483-1520) and the elegant but subdued art of Parmigianino (1503-40), which led to a major change in his painting, typified by his Dead Christ with Angels (1526).
His Paintings:- Tittle:-Deposition from the Cross
Date of Creation:1521
AlternativeNames:Deposition
Height (cm):375.00Length (cm):196.00
Medium:Oil
Support:Wood
Subject:Scenery
Art Movement:Mannerism
Created by:Rosso Fiorentino
Current Location:Volterra, Italy
Description:-Composition:-The upper figures are frozen in a moment of frenzied, grief-laden activity, carrying the body precariously down from the cross. The lower figures seem to exist almost in another reality, serving as symbols of anguish, devoid of the activity suggested by the upper half of the tableau.
The tall figure with red hair, traditionally St. John, is widely considered to be a self-portrait of Fiorentino. By including himself in the composition he becomes part of the emotional intensity of his own work. The position he is in, stooped over in anguish with his head buried in his hands, accentuates this.
Color palette:-The colors in Deposition from the Cross are bold, dramatic and dissonant, inspiring feelings of horror and grief. The body of Christ is a sickly green hue, his reddish hair clashing with the cadaverous tones of his skin.
Mood elicited:-Where previous depictions of the Deposition tended to focus more on the scene itself - the action, the background, and often idealized figures - Fiorentino's work focuses solely on emotion. The background is practically nonexistent, channeling all of the viewer's energy on the figures stopped in their tracks.
Use of lighting:-The harsh and unnatural lighting seems to come from a flash from above, freezing the participants in a snapshot moment in time.
Brushstroke:-By this point in his career Fiorentino had mastered the art of detail, which is apparent in the figures' expressions. The oil paint is applied in light strokes, creating a smoothness of texture and subtle layered effect.This technique was seen frequently with Florentine painters, in contrast to the thicker paint application typical of the Venetians.
Tittle:-Moses Defending the Daughters of Jethro
Date of Creation:1523
Subject:Scenery
Art Movement:Mannerism
Created by:Rosso Fiorentino
Current Location:Floigures:
Description:-Above all else, this painting serves as a testament to action and a celebration of the male nude. The figures are extremely muscular, powerful and broad, taking a clear inspiration from Michelangelo.
Arranged in complicated positions, Moses's opponents appear as a tangled mass rather than as individuals. By contrast, the females' hair is arranged in an elaborate fashion, which is a typical Fiorentino touch.
The texture of the skin and garments of the figures engaged in this scene take on a smooth, glossy feel due to the broad panes of light and color.
Composition:-It is speculated that Moses is depicted twice in Fiorentino's arrangement, both as the focal point in the center delivering the blows to the shepherds and also as the figure in red rushing in forcefully to save his future bride.
He is all strength and power in movement, with the eye drawn in a circular clockwise motion from his left arm up to his purposeful stride, the billows of his red garment, and back again through his upturned right arm to the central figure.
The positioning of the figures forms an X shape, with Moses's groin providing the central point of the composition. This accentuates the celebration of masculinity.
Color palette:-The artist utilizes a warm color palette, with hues of cinnamon, coral, apricot, burnt sienna, and peach to represent the nudes and primary background. Zipporah stands apart, both for the solitary positioning above the melee, as well as the sky blue color of her robe which stands out against the warmer flesh tones in the rest of the scene. A shade of blue is also used to clothe Moses in the center, of a dark smalt hue.
Use of light:-Typical of Mannerist painting, Fiorentino uses a rather dissonant lighting scheme that emphasizes the broad planes of the muscular figures. The figures in the center are illuminated as if with a spotlight from above, creating an unnatural, stylized effect.
Brushstroke:-The paint is applied in broad, flat panes, creating a glossy feel to the painting and its own shimmering texture. There are no rough edges; everything is smooth.rence, Italy.
Tittle:-Dead Christ with Angels
Date of Creation:circa 152
Height (cm):133.40Length (cm):104.10
Medium:Oil
Support:Wood
Subject:FigureArt
Movement:Mannerism
Created by:Rosso Fiorentino
Displayed at:Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Description:-The most remarkable trait of Dead Christ with Angels that has been duly noted by critics over the years is the subdued emotional quality in comparison to the artist's earlier works.
Fiorentino's maturation is made apparent through the total shift in tone and technique from scattered and abrasive compositional elements to a greater focus on physical beauty and harmony within the painting.
Composition:-The body of Christ takes up the majority of the compositional space and is the focal point of this piece.
Color palette:-Another departure from Fiorentino's earlier style is the use of color, which while remaining offbeat is far from the dissonance of his previous works.
The tones are rich and vibrant and lend an overall sense of warmth to the composition. Primary colors are utilized in the garments and background, and in Christ's body there are golden tones.
Use of light:-The lighting effect is diffused, illuminating the exposed body of Christ in a divine, golden bath, with the angels' curls reflecting this tone. There is stark contrast between the areas of light and dark, creating a dramatic emphasis on the figure of Christ.
Tone:-Hushed, serene, warm, and just this side of sentimental, Fiorentino's Dead Christ with Angels presents a scene of repose
Other works are:-
Portrait of a Young Man holding a Letter
Portrait of a Man
Musical Angel
Portrait of a Young Woman
1.Deposition from the Cross
2. Moses Defending the Daughters of Jethro
3.Dead Christ with Angels
4.Musical angel
5.Portrait of a Man
6.Portrait of a Young Woman
7.Portrait of a Young Man holding a Letter