When it comes to the Renaissance, almost everyone can name the “Big Three of the Renaissance.” However, knowing only these three is far from enough. You also need to know the “Little Three of the Italian Renaissance” — Piero della Francesca, Andrea Mantegna, and Paolo Uccello.
The “Little Three of the Italian Renaissance”
- Most people are familiar with the “Big Three of the Renaissance”: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. However, few are aware that before them came the “Little Three” — Piero della Francesca, Andrea Mantegna, and Paolo Uccello. Each of these artists excelled in a unique skill that continues to influence art and culture today. Their foundational contributions paved the way for the celebrated achievements of the “Big Three.”
- Piero della Francesca (full name Piero della Francesca) is regarded as the “earliest master of lighting.” In his paintings, humanity saw, for the first time, the depiction of a focused beam of light illuminating a subject. In the distant past, there was no concept of lighting akin to what we see in today’s photography studios. A concentrated beam of light on a person was a novelty, especially since it wasn’t achievable with the faint glow of candles. For a painter to imagine and create such dramatic light-and-shadow contrasts, relying solely on intuition and understanding, was an extraordinary feat.
- Andrea Mantegna is often described as the “director of the pre-film era.” His works are known for their dramatic intensity and exaggerated representation of thematic elements. Mantegna frequently employed a low-angle perspective, a technique almost unheard of among earlier painters. One of his masterpieces, The Lamentation over the Dead Christ, portrays Jesus on the cross, a common theme among artists. While most depicted it from a frontal or eye-level perspective, Mantegna used a low-angle view, making Jesus appear fearless, grand, and majestic.
- Mantegna didn’t stop at subtle low-angle perspectives. He pushed boundaries by adopting ceiling-like compositions — viewpoints akin to looking upward from the bottom of a deep well. This extreme perspective amplified the drama of his works. His bold use of composition inspired his contemporaries, proving that painting could be more than precise perspective and vivid colors. It could also create immense visual and emotional impact through radical angles.
- Paolo Uccello (real name Paolo di Dono), nicknamed “Uccello” (meaning “Birdman”), earned this moniker because of his fondness for painting birds. Uccello’s major contribution to the art world was his mastery of large-scale compositions. A mathematician and geometer, Uccello was deeply fascinated by perspective, using precise calculations to arrange the proportions and positions of every figure in his works. He was, in essence, a “mathematician who could paint.”
- Before Uccello, most paintings depicted small scenes with three to five figures. Uccello, through mathematical precision, arranged dozens or even hundreds of figures in a single composition. His masterpiece The Battle of San Romano features over 100 subjects, including knights, infantry, flags, and lances, all proportionately harmonious, vividly portraying the chaos of battle. Uccello even reveled in showing off his mathematical prowess, ensuring that every detail—down to a broken flagpole lying on the ground—adhered perfectly to perspective principles, with their vanishing points converging at a single spot.
- Uccello’s paintings are highly recognizable, not just for their grand scale and precise perspective but also for the distorted, somewhat unrealistic figures. This was because his focus on calculations left little attention for lifelike portrayals of characters. During his lifetime, Uccello’s works, which deviated from the realism trend, failed to sell, leaving him in poverty. Yet, through the lens of history, his unique style became a defining feature and a lasting legacy.
In Piero della Francesca’s The Legend of the True Cross, pay close attention to the “single beam of light” effect on the soldiers’ armor shoulders.
In Andrea Mantegna’s The Lamentation over the Dead Christ, Jesus is depicted from a low-angle perspective.
Mantegna’s paintings often feature “ceiling-like” viewpoints.
In Paolo Uccello’s The Battle of San Romano, the composition includes hundreds of figures, all meticulously adhering to perspective principles.
Before painting, Uccello created precise perspective sketches, carefully calculating and gridding his designs before proceeding.
Learn Photography from Mantegna
When taking photos, do you often feel that you appear shorter than you really are? This is usually due to the camera angle. If the photographer is standing while taking the picture, the camera is positioned above your legs, creating a top-down perspective that makes your legs appear shorter and your overall height smaller.
To solve this, take inspiration from Mantegna’s artistic perspective. Ask the photographer to squat down and lower the camera angle. By keeping the lens positioned lower, your legs will appear longer, and your overall proportions will look more flattering.
