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Mannerism originated primarily in Italy. It lasted from approximately 1530 to 1600 and was a reaction to the harmonious classicism and idealized naturalism of High Renaissance art as practiced by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Mannerist artists created a style that was characterized by artificially and unique coloration. A thoroughly self-conscious cultivation of elegance and technical facility are part of this artistic movement. Sophisticated indulgence in the bizarre helped to distinguish its artists.

 

The figures in Mannerist art frequently had graceful, but strangely elongated limbs, small heads, and stylized facial features while their poses seemed difficult or contrived. Painters such as Jacopo Pontormo and Francesco Parmigianino exemplified this unusual and fascinating style of painting. Mannerism however began to wane after 1600 as the Baroque began to take hold throughout Europe.