Carlo Crivelli was an Italian painter born in Venice in 1430. His father and brother were both painters but Carlo drew inspiration from his mentors Antonio Vivarini and Squarcione. In 1458, he moved to Ancona after being arrested for an affair with a woman and spent most of his remaining life there. Despite the growing popularity of oil paintings, Crivelli still used tempera paintings on panels. He preferred painting in the late International Gothic style of art and had a characteristic of using fruits and flowers as a decorative motif. His figures are painted in incredible detail and have exaggerated facial features and use strong outlines to make them stand out. Crivelli’s works are mostly religious. His famous works include Saint Stephen(1476), Madonna with Child(1480), Pieta(1493), and the Annunciation(1486) just to name a few. Despite his talent, he is neglected in Renaissance art but his style drew in commissions and gave a new style of ‘ultra-realism’ in art. In my opinion, I find Crivelli’s style of paintings to be unique. His strong outlines and shading for his figures make them feel relatable and the strong emotions in their faces give the paintings feel self-conscious in a way. The amount of detail that he puts into each painting is astonishing, and his style that still favors the Gothic era makes his work feel different from other artists during this time and gives the feeling that combines Gothic and Renaissance style art together.
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