Western Civilization: Mannerism, Russia, and a few other topics.

Mannerism was a style of art popular from roughly 1520 through the end of the 16th century.

The word mannerism means:

Elongated proportions with stretched limbs and torsos.

Exaggerated and contorted poses.

Deliberately distorted perspective for dramatic effect.

Unconventional and vibrant color palettes.

Meticulous attention to intricate patterns and small details.

-ATX Fine Arts

Baroque art, popular from roughly 1600 until the 1750s, was a different type of art that tended to focus on the emotion and drama behind the painting, often giving the painting dramatic poses and very intense lighting. You can also recognize baroque art because of the very deep shadows.

The shift in the artistic style reflected the times. People were having emotive reactions to the rapidly changing ideas about society. Peter the Great was the Ruler of Russia from 1682 to 1725. He forever changed Russia by forcibly modernizing it and making all the Russians be open to Western ideas. He made all Russians shave their beards and wear westerner clothes, and whoever resisted was fined heavily. The change was significant. Russia became more powerful with a more effective military. People have mixed opinions of him, as he was a dictator but an effective ruler.

Frederick William was the ruler of Prussia and, similar to Peter the Great, greatly helped his country's economy and military.

ThHowever, he wasn't nearly as harsh as Peter, which meant his people liked him better. He also trained a special regiment of men called the Potsdam Giants. As the name implies, these were very tall men, and they were known for being exceptional fighters.

The 16 and 1700s were interesting times during which there were many rulers, good and bad.