Middle School
Worksheets
Masaccio
When you think of Renaissance painters, what names come to mind? Do you think of Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo? Donatello, Raphael, or Botticelli? One name that is a little less well-known today is Masaccio. However, he was very well known in his own time, especially among artists. His work has continued to inspire artists through the ages, and, in fact, Masaccio is often considered the founder of Renaissance art.
Some of Masaccio's most admired works were frescoes painted in the Brancacci Chapel in Florence, Italy. Artists from all over flocked to Florence in the 1400s to study Masaccio's art and his techniques. According to Masaccio's biographer, the Brancacci Chapel was the number one destination for Renaissance painters. He said that these artists came to the chapel to "learn the precepts and rules for painting well." What better legacy could a painter leave than beautiful frescoes that inspired and educated other artists?
What was it about Masaccio's paintings that attracted so many Renaissance artists?
