Parmigianino

Franceso Mazzola, better known as Parmigianino, was a mannerist painter in sixteenth century Italy. He was born in Parma in 1503 and moved to Rome in 1524. He was influenced by Corregio (Assumption of the Virgin), Romano, Raphael, and Michelangelo. His work is characterized by calm but unsettling figures who often have distorted proportions. This is typical of the mannerist art historical period in which artworks typically displayed extraordinary virtuosity, intricate composition, elegant figures, and fearless manipulation of accepted conventions.

One of the most famous paintings by Parmigianino is Madonna with the Long Neck. It shows a proportionally distorted Mary: she has long fingers, an elongated neck, narrow shoulders, and an extremely large lower body. Baby Jesus is also elongated and is spread languidly along her lap. His pose mimics Christ's pose in the Pieta, which shows Michelangelo's influence. In the background, a tiny figure of St. Jerome unrolls a scroll next to a free standing column.

In this case, composition and emotion are emphasized over the realism/naturalism of the figures.