Learn About Correggio in Art History, View His Art and Famous Paintings

"Lunette w/ St. John the Evangelist” Correggio, 1520-24,


Correggio, 1489-1534, one of Italy’s famous artists in art history painted one of his most famous paintings "Adoration of the Shepherds", in 1522, more commonly known as "Holy Night". The glory of the Christ Child is the main light source for the entire painting. It illuminates Mary's face, Mary's midwife, even the angels on the floating cloud.


The illumination and the emotional expressions unite the figures. The artistic compositions are not typical of the High Renaissance, tightly wound centralized figure pilings. They work together in diagonal groupings of activity.

Compositional characteristics in many Correggio famous paintings are human attraction, emotion, interaction, and magnetism. The figures in his artwork"Madonna and Child with Sts. Jerome and Mary Magdalene", 1523, all have a warm personal relationships. Mary Magdalene has her cheek pressed up against the Christ Child, held by the Virgin Mary, while the Christ Child caresses her hair. The Christ Child is addressing an open book presented by Jerome while a beautiful angel turns the pages.

On the far right Mary Magdalene's angel is holding a container of ointment in symbolism to when Mary will wash the feet of Christ with her tears and then dry them with her hair. The light and modeling of the figures faces is soft adding to the emotional atmosphere of the artwork.

Correggio's greatest achievements were his dome ceiling paintings. To frame his famous painting composition "Vision of St. John the Baptist" 1520-24, he uses the drum of the dome. The twelve Apostles are seated on clouds around the rising Christ as he ascends into heaven.

The artistic figures are characteristic of Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling. They are grand, muscular, heroic figures, but softer in their modeling. These greatly foreshortened floating figures in atmospheric compositions are common views in many paintings.

Correggio’s more mythological paintings in art history dealt with human emotion and rapture. In his painting of a classical abduction scene "Jupiter and Ganymede", early 1530's, Ganymede hangs in the grip of Jupiter's invading eagle. Granymede is fearsome, but pleasured at the same time. Drama is heightened in the instantaneity of the moment. Granymedes’ dog moves upward on his hind legs unable to do anything about the abduction, but watch it happen.

One of Corregio’s famous mythological paintings in art history is "Jupiter and Io", early 1530's. The painting is daring because it is a nude seduction scene.The naked, enraptured Io, is voluptuously rendered, being held and kissed by Jupiter coming to her in the form of a cloud. The atmospheric art effect of the composition unites with the enraptured Io through the use of sfumato invented by Leonardo da Vinci. Other famous artists of the Renaissance art period are Raphael and Michelangelo.BR>


To view the entire gallery of Correggio paintings, click here.


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