Parmigianino

Parmigianino was the leading painter of Parma after Correggio, and is celebrated as one of the originators and leading exponents of Mannerism. He was indebted also to the work of Raphael and Michelangelo, evolving a personal manner, expressive and stylish, that influenced later painters in Italy and, by means of his widely disseminated etchings, throughout Europe.

Parmigianino was active mainly in Parma before moving to Rome in 1524, and after the Sack of Rome by Imperial troops in 1527 to Bologna. His last years were spent mainly in Parma and partly, according to Vasari, in the pursuit of alchemy.

His elegant decorative scheme for the church of the Steccata, Parma, was never completed. It anticipates by some hundred years Bernini's integration of painting and three-dimensional architectural/sculptural elements. In addition to his fame as a painter, he was also celebrated as a prolific draughtsman and etcher.

Text © The National Gallery, London, 2020