The Four Canonical Painting Modes of the Renaissance: Cangiante

The Four Canonical Painting Modes of the Renaissance: Cangiante

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The Modes

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The renaissance ("rebirth") was the era or refreshment of art during the 1300's to 1700. The renaissance is also the core foundation of conventional art ethics. Many techniques in art were borrowed or created in the renaissance are now used in variation today. During the 300 year period that the renaissance was, many techniques were found. Perspective was an incredible discovery as artists began using it in a more calculated way. Some colors never used before were also found (such as ultramarine). Art before the renaissance now looks immature and unrealistic.

All of the techniques of the renaissance are numerous, but there are four prominent techniques that stand out in the art that have been carried through generations of art.

• Sfumato

• Unione

• Cangiante

• Chiaroscuro

Cangiante

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Cangiante is a technique that focuses on the transformation of colors from one variety to another. However, this method relies on the importance of the colors being used rather than the intensity. In Unione and Sfumato, the emphasis is on colors. The intensity of colors differentiated the two. In Cangiante, the primary goal is to replace one color with another color. For example, the painter could choose to use an alternative color rather than black to show the dark or shadowy parts of the images. This can entail the use of colors such as mauve, brown or red which can be replaced with black to represent the shadows in a picture.

Colors and Shadows

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Artists who use Cangiante has the freedom of choice. They can use different types of colors to support the painting. Additionally, it does not matter how the object looks like in the real world. The artist has the freedom to use any color to depict the object. One significant artwork that relies on this approach is The Virgin Mary with the Apostles and Other Saints by Fra Angelico. The characters have shadows on their back just like any typical picture. However, a unique attribute is that their artists rely on different colors for shadows rather than black. For example, the eighth from the ride side of the picture at the top row has a blue shadow. Even though it is not natural, the artist has the freedom to pick any color.

Black Values

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The artist could choose to avoid using black when it does not fit in the picture, or it would destroy the beauty of the piece. The use of this technique is more about aesthetics rather than factual details. In reality, art is about beauty instead of facts. The artists can use any color that supports their perspective. It is used to keep the picture colorful, and Michelangelo was considered as the prominent practitioner of this technique.

Steemians, what do you think of Cangiante? Have you ever seen it anywhere that you remember?