Filippino Lippi - The Descent from the Cross

Italian Renaissance painting is most often be divided into four periods: the Proto-Renaissance (1300–1425), the Early Renaissance (1425–1495), the High Renaissance (1495–1520), and Mannerism (1520–1600). The city of Florence is renowned as the birthplace of the Renaissance, and in particular of Renaissance painting. From the early 15th to late 16th centuries, Italy was divided into many political states. The painters of Renaissance Italy wandered Italy, disseminating artistic and philosophical ideas. The Proto-Renaissance begins with the professional life of the painter Giotto and includes Taddeo Gaddi, Orcagna and Altichiero. The Early Renaissance style was started by Masaccio and then further developed by Fra Angelico, Paolo Uccello, Piero della Francesca, Sandro Botticelli, Verrocchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Giovanni Bellini. The High Renaissance period was that of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Andrea del Sarto, Coreggio, Giorgione, the latter works of Giovanni Bellini, and Titian. The Mannerist period, dealt with in a separate article, included the latter works of Michelangelo, as well as Pontormo, Parmigianino, Bronzino and Tintoretto.

Filippino Lippi (c. 1457 - 18 April 1504) was an Italian Renaissance painter. He was the son of the famous Florentine painter Fra Filippo Lippi and Lucrezia Buti. Filippino was trained in his father's workshop and later worked with Sandro Botticelli. Filippino's early works show the influence of his father's style, with delicate figures and a sense of grace and harmony. However, he soon developed his own style, characterised by a greater emphasis on realism and a more dramatic use of light and shadow. One of Filippino's most famous works is the cycle of frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel in Florence, which he completed after Masaccio's death. The cycle depicts scenes from the life of St Peter, including the healing of the lame and the raising of Tabitha from the dead. Filippino also painted a number of altarpieces for churches in Florence and other Italian cities. His works are often characterised by complex compositions and a rich use of colour. Despite his talent, Filippino struggled with personal demons throughout his life, including a gambling addiction and financial difficulties. He died at the age of 47, leaving a legacy as one of the most important painters of the Florentine Renaissance.