Definition for Mannerism
From Biology Forums Dictionary
Mannerist (mid- to late 16th century) architecture utilizes discomfiting designs of superficial detail and unusual proportions, with juxtapositions of curvilinear and rectilinear items. Decorative detail is applied to exterior wall surfaces in the Renaissance fashion, but flattened domes and shallow arches replace mathematical proportions. Mannerist painting takes its name from the mannered or affected appearance of the subjects in the paintings. These works are coldly formal and inward looking. Their unlifelike proportions, icy stares, and subjective viewpoint can be puzzling and intriguing when seen out of context. Mannerism has an intellectual component that distorts reality, alters space, and often makes obscure cultural allusions. It contains anti-classical emotionalism and abandons classical balance and form while employing formality and geometry.