Do not only discuss how the painting is Mannerist in style, but also to explain how the Mannerist period came about. In many ways, Mannerism is a reaction against the classical, intellectual style of the artists of the High Renaissance. At the end of the 15th century, the Catholic church was being accused of corruption by the followers of Martin Luther who would develop an alternative Christianity called Protestantism. The Catholic church countered the criticism of the Protestant Reformation by launching the Counter Reformation. They hired artists to paint images that focused on the spiritual and mystical aspects of Christian subject matter. These artists made their figures look less like Greek gods, by distorting and elongating them. They wanted the viewer to be moved emotionally by the colors and mystical symbolism. This is what El Greco was very good at. Take a look at this video.
Remember to add a bibliography page at the end of your finished paper listing the sources for the information you used in your paper. Also, include footnotes within the body of your paper to show where you are presenting information from each of your sources listed on your bibliography page.
