Abstract
This article is devoted to Rudolfine art as one of the style-forming components and a significant trend in European Mannerism of the 16-17th centuries. A general overview of this style, necessary preconditions that led to its emergence in the artistic culture of Europe, Mannerism major trends and its vectors of spreading in Europe, the role of Rudolfine artists in this process, are laid out in this work. We emphasized the lack of adequate research made in the field of Art History. The personal influence of Emperor Rudolf II on the formation of court art at that time was pointed out. We looked into the background and circumstances at which the Prague Art Center was established by the Emperor and how he provided patronage to the arts and science. The importance of works by prominent artists of the Rudolfine era who worked at the Prague Art Center is highlighted. The main directions of Mannerism distribution through European countries, mainly its further adaptation and style transformation depending on the geographical location, grounds on why the art was so influenced by the Italian movement, the approach and tools of Mannerism in one of the leading European courts. The main characteristics of the Rudolfine art style is highlighted. Its main representatives are defined and their individual creative styles are separately analyzed, including Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Roelant Savery, Bartholomeus Spranger, Joris Hoefnagel, Adriaen de Vries, Joseph Heintz the Elder, and Hans von Aachen. It is pointed out that there was a tendency in the synthesis of Italian, French, and German trends which formed the foregrounds of individual styles of major representatives in Rudolfine art that have been a significant element of Mannerism. General characteristics of stylistic features of Rudolfine artists as representatives of Mannerism who contributed to its fast proliferation in Europe are laid out.
Highlights
An era that succeeded the Renaissance and precedes Baroque, is a chronological period of time which plays an important part in understanding the style’s nature, its characteristics and formation in the subsequent artistic periods
The Rudolfine art culture became the main trend among several in spreading Mannerism style, it combined above all Roman, Florentine, Mantuan, Amsterdam, Antwerp style versions, making another deviation of international Mannerism which flourished since Italian version came to its end (Zeri, p. 18)
Hans von Aachen became exquisite, similar to Raphael in his Mythological scenes, uninhibited in the Italian manner, in Flemish traditions tending to color, in German was attracted to naturalism, which was a specific feature of all Rudolfine artists
Summary
An era that succeeded the Renaissance and precedes Baroque, is a chronological period of time which plays an important part in understanding the style’s nature, its characteristics and formation in the subsequent artistic periods. The artists, influenced by this movement and who were summoned to European courts, contributed to this process They brought to each local Mannerism an Italian component and at the same time when returned home to Italy, they enriched the Italian art with newly acquired trends. Rudolf II was brought up at the court of uncle Philip II of Spain, that favorably disposed him to Catholicism and he supported the start of the Catholic Reformation in the Empire He, along with his father Maximilian II and Francis I became the most influential figures in the formation of an artistic culture of that era and on the German territories. The psychological type of the Emperor’s personality was very typical for the Reformation period and it played a significant part in the formation of the Rudolfine art phenomenon
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
