Alluring Artifice: Mannerism in the Sixteenth Century

Perhaps one of the most recognizable artistic styles, Mannerism is a movement that emerged in European art around 1510–20 and lasted until about 1600. It manifested itself differently in Italian and in Netherlandish art but is generally characterized by a focus on densely packed compositions and the human form, in images that are deliberately challenging in both design and technique. Alluring Artifice features prints by the highly skilled and politically savvy Italian female engraver Diana Mantuana (ca. 1547–1612); the Dutch artist Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617), who was renowned for his extraordinary virtuoso style; and numerous others, who explored what, at the time, was a unique and dynamic new style.