Antonello da Messina

Abstract

Antonello da Messina was the first truly European painter and his works raise crucial questions in our understanding of Western art. No other fifteenth-century Italian artist responded in such a direct manner to the unchallenged Flemish masters of Bruges and Brussels, the legends of French painting, and greats in Italy like Piero della Francesca and Mantegna. Antonello da Messina's genius lies in his ability to join this vision with Italian forms and a new notion of space: perspective. This style can be found in his early works, like the Crucifixion (Bucharest), the Salvator Mundi (London, 1465), the Madonna with Child (London) and Saint Jerome in His Study (London). In so doing, he created unique images with a harmonious and geometrical clarity, yet included exquisite descriptive passages. Antonello da Messina is also universally recognised as a formidable portraitist. ----