Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror(c.1524); Oil on wood, diameter 24,4 cm ; Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola (11 January 1503- 24 August 1540), also known as Francesco Mazzola, or more famously as Parmigianino, was a painter, draftsman, and etcher of a family of artists in Parma, where he worked among other artists such as Correggio. He was an influential painter of the Mannerist style during his twenty-year career. Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror by Parmigianino (c. ... Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror by Parmigianino (c. ... January 11 is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1503 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... Events January 6 - King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves, his fourth Queen consort. ... Painting by Rembrandt self-portrait Detail from Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez, in which the painter portrayed himself at work For the computer graphics program, see Corel Painter. ... This is about drafting, the art and science of technical drawing. ... Etching is an intaglio method of printmaking in which the image is incised into the surface of a metal plate using an acid. ... Country Italy Region Emilia-Romagna Province Parma (PR) Mayor Elvio Ubaldi (since May 28, 2002) Elevation 55 m Area 260 km² Population  - Total (as of December 31, 2004) 175,789  - Density 676/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Parmigiani (Parmensi are called the provinces inhabitants) Dialing code... Antonio Allegri da Correggio Jupiter and Io, 1531 or 32 Antonio Allegri da Correggio (Correggio, Italy August 1489 – March 5, 1534) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance. ... Mannerism is the term used to describe the artistic style that arose in mid-16th century. ...

Biography

Parmigianino was born in Parma, the eighth child of Filippo Mazzola and an unknown mother. Just two years later, his father died of the plague, leaving his sons to be brought up under their uncles, Michele and Pier Ilario. He learned painting from his father and uncles. In his Lives of the Artists, Giorgio Vasari claimed that his grammar school teacher recommended training in painting after seeing the musing drawings of his student. In 1515, his uncle received a commission from Nicolo Zangrandi for the decoration of a chapel in San Giovanni Evangelista. This work was later taken over by Parmigianino, who by the age of sixteen, he had already completed an altarpiece for a local church. Country Italy Region Emilia-Romagna Province Parma (PR) Mayor Elvio Ubaldi (since May 28, 2002) Elevation 55 m Area 260 km² Population  - Total (as of December 31, 2004) 175,789  - Density 676/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Parmigiani (Parmensi are called the provinces inhabitants) Dialing code... Giorgio Vasaris selfportrait Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (Arezzo, Tuscany July 3, 1511 - Florence, June 27, 1574) was an Italian painter and architect, mainly known for his famous biographies of Italian artists. ... 1515 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1521, Parmigianino was sent to Viadana to escape the strife afflicting Northern Italy as Francois I battled the then-allied Charles V and Leo X. In Viadana, he painted two panels in tempera, depicting Saint Francis for the church of the Frati de' Zoccoli, and the Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine for San Pietro. This year and the next, he also worked in San Giovanni and met Correggio who was at work in the fresco decorations of the cupola. Events January 3 - Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem. ... Francis I, Renaissance prince, lover of women, patron of the arts Francis I (French: François Ier) (September 12, 1494 - July 31, 1547), called the Father and Restorer of Letters (French: le Père et Restaurateur des Lettres), was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims... Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Aragon and Castile. ... Pope Leo X Leo X, né Giovanni di Lorenzo de Medici (December 11, 1475 - December 1, 1521), was the only pope who has bestowed his own name upon his age, and one of the few whose original extraction has corresponded in some measure with the splendour of the pontifical dignity. ... Saint Francis of Assisi (born in Assisi, Italy, ca. ... Correggio is the name of a town in Italy and of a famous painter who was born there. ... Cupola of St Peters Basilica, Rome In architecture, a cupola consists of a dome-shaped ornamental structure located on top of a larger roof or dome, often used as a lookout or to admit light and provide ventilation. ...

Parmigianino received a major commission in 1522 to decorate the left transept arm of the cathedral of San Giovanni; however, he was never able to complete the commission. Between 1523 and 1524, Parmigianino met the Duke Galeazzo Sanvitale, with whom he had a long relationship. In 1523 -1524, prior to his the departure for Rome, Parmigianino frescoed the ceiling of a room in the Rocca Sanvitale in Fontanellato, some 20 miles from Parma. It contains 14 lunettes with episodes from Ovid’s [[Ovid’s Metamorphosis|Metamorphosis] of “Diane and Acteon”. Also in this period, he met Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli, a fellow pupil in the shop of Parmigianino's uncles, and who had married Parmigianino's cousin. In 1524, he presented four small paintings and his Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror, in order to seek the patronage of the new Medici pope, Clement VII. Clement kept the Circumcision. Vasari records that Parmigianino was 'celebrated as a Raphael reborn'. Events January 9 - Adrian Dedens becomes Pope Adrian VI. February 26 - Execution by hanging of Cuauhtémoc, Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan under orders of conquistador Hernán Cortés. ... Events April - Battle of Villalar - Forces loyal to Emperor Charles V defeat the Comuneros, a league of urban bourgeois rebelling against Charles in Spain. ... Events March 1, 1524/5 - Giovanni da Verrazano lands near Cape Fear (approx. ... The Rocca Sanvitale or Sanvitale Castle, is a remarkable fortress residence located in the town of Fontanalleta, near Parma, Italy. ... Fontanellato is a small town in the province of Parma in north Italy. ... Engraved frontispiece of George Sandyss 1632 London edition of Publius Ovidius Naso (Sulmona, March 20, 43 BC â€“ Tomis, now Constanta AD 17) Roman poet known to the English-speaking world as Ovid, wrote on topics of love, abandoned women, and mythological transformations. ... Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli (1500-1569), Italian Renaissance painter active mostly in Parma. ... Events March 1, 1524/5 - Giovanni da Verrazano lands near Cape Fear (approx. ... The Medici family was a powerful and influential Florentine family from the 13th to 17th century. ... For the antipope (1378-1394) see Antipope Clement VII. Pope Clement VII Clement VII, né Giulio di Giuliano de Medici (1478 – September 25, 1534) was pope from 1523 to 1534. ...

In January 1526, Parmigianino and his uncle, Pier Ilario, agree with Maria Bufalina from Citta di Castello, to decorate the church of San Salvatore, in Lauro, with the Vision of Saint Jerome. Like many other artists, within a year the Sack of Rome caused Parmigianino to flee. He came to Bologna first, then in 1530 he returned to Parma, where he was hired to participate in the decoration of Santa Maria della Steccata. Events January 14 - Treaty of Madrid. ... Lauro is a town (commune) in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy. ... Combatants Papal States Holy Roman Empire, Spain Commanders Clement VII Charles III, 8th duc de Bourbon † Strength 500 militia (Swiss Guard) 20,000 regulars Casualties 500 dead, wounded, or captured, 45,000 civilians dead, wounded, or exiled Unknown The Sack of Rome of 1527 by the troops of Charles V... Bologna (pronounced , from Latin Bononia, Bulåggna in the local dialect) is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, in the Pianura Padana, between the Po River and the Apennines, exactly, between Reno River and Sàvena River. ... Events June 25 - Augsburg confession presented to Charles V of Holy Roman Empire. ...

In 1531, Mazzola received a commission for two altarpieces, depicting Saint Joseph, and Saint John the Baptist, from the unfinished church of the Steccata. The brotherhood was to erect suitable scaffolding and provide the rosettes for the coffers and the necessary gold. This led in the following year to a contract for the apse and barrel vault to be completed within 18 months. However, by 1535, he had still not finished them, and promises to do so within two years, or pay back the advance he had received. In December, he nominated Don Nicola Cassola, a Parman cleric at the Roman Curia, to act as his legal representative. Mazzola authorised him to collect the 50 gold scudi from Bonifazio Gozzadini for the Madonna with St. John the Baptist and St. Zacharias. Events January 26 - Lisbon, Portugal is hit by an earthquake-- thousands die October 1 - Battle of Kappel - The forces of Zürich are defeated by the Catholic cantons. ... Joseph led his family to safety in Egypt to escape from Herod, as depicted by Lorenzo Monaco According to the Christian Gospel accounts Joseph of the House of David – in tradition also called Joseph the Betrothed and Saint Joseph – was the husband of Mary (Matthew 1:16) and the legal... John the Baptist (also called John the Baptizer or John the Dipper) is regarded as a prophet by at least three religions: Christianity, Islam, and Mandaeanism. ... Events January 18 - Lima, Peru founded by Francisco Pizarro April - Jacques Cartier discovers the Iroquois city of Stadacona, Canada (now Quebec) and in May, the even greater Huron city of Hochelaga June 24 - The Anabaptist state of Münster (see Münster Rebellion) is conquered and disbanded. ... A Curia in early Roman times was a subdivision of the people, i. ...

In 1534, it was decided that the Madonna dal Collo Lungo (the Madonna with the Long Neck) would hang in the chapel of the family of Elena Baiardi. Events February 27 - Group of Anabaptists of Jan Matthys seize Münster and declare it The New Jerusalem - they begin to exile dissenters and forcible baptize all others May 10 - Jacques Cartier explores Newfoundland while searching for the Northwest Passage. ...

Parmigianino had, naturally, probably expected to succeed Correggio in the favour of the church. However, in April 1538, the administrative office of the Church commissioned Girolamo Bedoli to decorate the apse and choir of the cathedral (duomo). The work had been initially assigned to Giorgio Gandini del Grano, who died prematurely. Worse, the next year, Parmigianino was jailed for two months, after the Confraternita decided unanimously to ban him from continuing in their church. He was replaced between 1539 and 1540 by Giulio Romano. However, shortly afterwards in 1540, Romano requested to withdraw from the contract. Events Treaty of Nagyvarad. ... Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli (c. ... Giorgio Gandini del Grano (c. ... Events May 30 - In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal to find gold. ... Events January 6 - King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves, his fourth Queen consort. ... Fire in the Borgo, Vatican fresco Giulio Romano (ca 1499? – November 1, 1546) was an Italian painter, architect, and decorator. ... Events January 6 - King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves, his fourth Queen consort. ...

However, it is believed that at this time, he became a devotee of alchemy. Vasari hypothesized that this was due to his fascination with magic. Scholars now agree that Mazzola's scientific interests may've been due to his obsession with trying to find a new medium for his etchings. As a result of his alchemical researches, he completed little work in the church. He was imprisoned for breach of contract, but later escaped. For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). ...

Parmigianino died in Casalmaggiore on the 24 August 1540, and is buried in the church of the Frati de' Servi "naked with a cross made of cypress wood on his chest". Casalmaggiore is a small town in northern Italy. ... August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... Events January 6 - King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves, his fourth Queen consort. ...

Works

Is it believed that Mazzola was the first Italian artist to make etchings. His work in this influenced the technology and art of printmaking.

The Madonna with the Long Neck

Madonna with the Long Neck, 1534-40, Oil on wood, 216 x 132 cm, Uffizi, Florence
Left unfinished at the artist's death

I can well imagine that some may find [Parmigianino's] Madonna almost offensive because of the affectation and sophistication with which a sacred object is treated. There is nothing in it of the ease and simplicity with which Raphael had treated that ancient theme. The picture is called the 'Madonna with the long neck' because the painter, in his eagerness to make the Holy Virgin look graceful and elegant, has given her a neck like that of a swan. He has stretched and lengthened the proportions of the human body in a strangely capricious way. The hand of the Virgin with its long delicate fingers, the long leg of the angel in the foreground, the lean, haggard prophet with a scroll of parchment - we see them all as through a distorting mirror. And yet there can be no doubt that the artist achieved this effect through neither ignorance nor indifference. He has taken care to show us that he liked these unnaturally elongated forms, for, to make doubly sure of his effect, he placed an oddly shaped high column of equally unusual proportions in the background of the painting. As for the arrangement of the picture, he also showed us that he did not believe in conventional harmonies. Instead of distributing his figures in equal pairs on both sides of the Madonna, he crammed a jostling crowd of angels into a narrow corner, and left the other side wide open to show the tall figure of the prophet, so reduced in size through the distance that he hardly reaches the Madonna's knee. There can be no doubt, then, that if this be madness there is method in it. The painter wanted to be unorthodox. He wanted to show that the classical solution of perfect harmony is not the only solution conceivable; that natural simplicity is one way of achieving beauty, but that there are less direct ways of getting interesting effects for sophisticated lovers of art. Whether we like or dislike the road he took, we must admit that he was consistent. Indeed, Parmigianino and all the artists of his time who deliberately sought to create something new and unexpected, even at the expense of the 'natural' beauty established by the great masters, were perhaps the first 'modern' artists. We shall see, indeed, that what is now called 'modern' art may have had its roots in a similar urge to avoid the obvious and achieve effects which differ from conventional natural beauty. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (486x800, 98 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (486x800, 98 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Uffizi Gallery (Italian: Galleria degli Uffizi) is a palace or palazzo in Florence, holding one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world. ... Country Italy Region Tuscany Province Florence (FI) Mayor Leonardo Domenici Elevation 50 m Area 102 km² Population  - Total (as of 2006-06-02) 366,488  - Density 3,593/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Fiorentini Dialing code 055 Postal code 50100 Frazioni Galluzzo, Settignano Patron St. ...

From "The Story of Art", by E.H. Gombrich

List of works

• Madonna with the long neck, Madonna with the Long Neck, 1534-40, Oil on wood, 216 x 132 cm, Uffizi, Florence
• Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror, c.1524; Oil on wood, diameter 24.4 cm; Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
• Vision of Saint Jerome, (National Gallery, London)
• Cupid, c.1523-24; Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna[1]
• Madonna and Child 1525, Galleria Doria-Pamphili, Rome[2]
• Portrait of a Man with a Book (Attributed, York City Art Gallery).
• The Circumcision (Detroit Institute of Arts)
• Portrait of a Young Woman (Antea) Capodimonte Museum, Naples).
• Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist, (Capodimonte)
• The Conversion of Saint Paul, (Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna)
• Saint Roch and Donor, Gamba Chapel San Petronio Bologna
• Allegorical Portrait of Charles V, (New York)
• The Annunciation, (Metrolpolitan Museum of Art, New York))

The Uffizi Gallery (Italian: Galleria degli Uffizi) is a palace or palazzo in Florence, holding one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world. ... Country Italy Region Tuscany Province Florence (FI) Mayor Leonardo Domenici Elevation 50 m Area 102 km² Population  - Total (as of 2006-06-02) 366,488  - Density 3,593/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Fiorentini Dialing code 055 Postal code 50100 Frazioni Galluzzo, Settignano Patron St. ...

See also

• Mannerism

Mannerism is the term used to describe the artistic style that arose in mid-16th century. ...

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Parmigianino

• Parmigianino, Cecil Gould. ISBN 1-55859-892-8
• The Story of Art, E.H. Gombrich
• [3]