first post

I found it interesting that the surge of Catholic reformers had such a profound effect on artists.  Artists started moving away from the Renaissance style of painting to a style known as mannerism.  Michelangelo is a prime example of an artist radically altering his style of painting.  When Michelangelo began the Sistine Chapel there is hopefulness about it, but once he went back to finishing it, there was a more pessimistic tone to it.  I think it is interesting that the style not only became more pessimistic, but also more conservative and unrealistic.  Where humans were painted naked, cloth is painted over their private parts as well as exaggerated physical features of different religious figures, making them look less human.