In this article, I will describe Madonna with the long neck, one of the most important works of Parmigianino, but first of all, I would like to explain the changes in painting and sculpture with the end of the Renaissance. With the Renaissance, it was thought that art had reached the highest point that could be reached, but the Mannerism and Renaissance rules disappeared and the artists put forward their aesthetic understanding. The figures have moved away from naturalness and realism and their proportions have deteriorated; asymmetric compositions were preferred to give up the stable compositions where balance was achieved. Perspective depths of unrealistic pictures were also made.
If we return to our work, the original name of Long-Necked Virgin Mary is Madonna dal Collo Lungo and it is oil painting on the panel. In 1534, Elena Baiardo, one of Parma's ruling family, ordered the altar board of the Santa Maria dei Servi, the family chapel, to Parmalı Parmigianino. The painting, the production of which began in 1534, is left unfinished with the death of Parmigianino in 1540. Today it is exhibited in Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence.
Details of the picture
The picture shows Madonna in the middle, the angel group on the left and Saint Jerome on the right. Parmigianino chose to disrupt the proportions of Mary's body in order to show grace in the Mannerist understanding; He depicted a long-necked, small-toe body with an imposing body and fingers that seemed like long bones. Mary's flying dress has taken on the task of balancing the background and foreground.
The child has a rather large body in the lap of Mary in Jesus. The fact that the angels are stacked on one side is also proof that the picture has left the anxiety of balanced composition heard during the Renaissance period. There is a dark columnar landscape on the background of the painting and it is actually planned as a row of columns. the figure, which is shown quite small, holds a scroll. The reason why St. Jerome is in the picture is because he is a Virgin Mary follower. To the left of the saint is an unfinished figure whose feet are depicted.
Where is the Madonna with the long neck on display?
The painting called The Tall Mary, made by Parmigianino, is currently in the Ufizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. This painting, whose construction date is 1535-1540, belongs to the Renaissance period and was made using the maniyerism movement. Parmigianino's work led to the emergence of mannerism in the light of the Renaissance. According to the Mannerism movement, all the works made during the Renaissance showed the perfect human model, but it should not have been like this. Especially by playing with the height of the figures, they brought the incompatibility to the fore.
Many Madonna paintings and sculptures have been made throughout the history of art. The best known of these are Michelangelo's Pieta statue and Rafello's paintings of Christ and Mary. Madonna literally represents the Virgin Mary and is depicted as embracing Jesus in art history.
- Name of the painting: Madonna with the Long Neck - Madonna and Child with Angels (1534-1540)
- Where: Uffizi, Florence, Italy
- Size: 216.5cm x 132.5cm