High Renaissance Masters: Italian Painting and Classicism (16th Century)

Major Representatives of Italian Classical Painting (XVI)

The High Renaissance in Italian classical painting (16th century) marks the culmination and full maturity of Renaissance art. Rome replaced Florence as the artistic center and became the cradle of classicism. Venice also emerged as a major artistic focus.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519)

A perfect example of Renaissance humanism, Leonardo made significant contributions in the field of painting, including:

• Setting the classical language, seeking visual beauty, formal correctness, proportion, size, balance, and harmony.
• Introducing a sensory perception of nature, employing new techniques in the representation of reality determined by light and distance.

Key techniques developed by Leonardo include:

• The “Sfumato” technique: A soft chiaroscuro contrast of light and shadow.
• Atmospheric Perspective: Shading contours according to distance, graduating light and color as objects recede.

His output was limited but highly relevant. Notable works include The Virgin of the Rocks, The Last Supper, and La Gioconda (Mona Lisa).

Michelangelo (1475–1564)

Michelangelo worked in painting, sculpture, and architecture. He is a leading representative of classicism and an initiator of Mannerism. His personal artistic conventions are linked to Neo-Platonism and his unique vision of classical ideals.

• He focuses intensely on the human figure, seeking to reproduce a world of ideal types. This includes figures of great formal perfection, powerful anatomy and plasticity, monumental scale, and a cult of the nude.
• His compositions emphasize order and the exaltation of substance. His characters possess immense expressive force and inner tension (known as Terribilitá).
• He applies a sculptural treatment to painting, representing the culmination of the plastic line. He exalts volumetric values and drawing.
• He prioritizes volume over spatial concerns, using high-intensity colors to highlight form.

The Sistine Chapel

The vault of the Sistine Chapel is a true reflection of his classical style, developing a vast program of images with deep symbolic meaning related to Genesis, redemption, and human destiny. The composition is highly organized and clear, featuring over 300 large figures.

In the Last Judgment (at the head of the chapel), Michelangelo develops the theme of doom. Here, he renounces physical beauty, formal perfection, and classical balance, focusing solely on conveying a powerful message. This work clearly establishes Mannerism around the central figure of Christ, utilizing a sharp, overwhelming dramatic chiaroscuro and exalted movement.

Raphael (1483–1520)

Raphael achieved a creative synthesis, harmoniously combining the various options and trends of Renaissance painting and applying them to a language of pure classicism.

• He incorporated Leonardo's empiricism and rational idealism alongside Michelangelo's linear focus.
• His formal language is the prototype of classicism.
• He developed an intangible idealism expressed through sensible beauty.
• His body of work includes religious paintings, profane subjects, historical scenes, and portraits.