Mannerism (from “maniera” in Italian) was a style in European art that emerged in the later years of Renaissance at the 16th century in Italy. Mannerism was the reaction to the harmonious ideas of Renaissance and artist such as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo, which is why the subjects in Mannerism were presented with exaggerated ideal qualities, often resulting in compositions that are asymmetrical or unnaturally elegant.
