1490s in art
overview of the events of the 1490s in art

The decade of the 1490s in art involved some significant events.
Events
The Renaissance is in full swing during the 1490s, and Leonardo da Vinci is painting in realistic, chiaroscuro style. In music, many new musical styles are being created, including the motet and madrigal, replacing an emphasis on chanting (and simple melodies) with polyphony and homophony. Christopher Columbus's explorations of the New World captivates the artistic imagination of both artists and the public.
1490 – July 13: John of Kastav finishes a cycle of frescoes in the Holy Trinity Church, Hrastovlje (Slovenia).
1495: Donatello's bronze Judith and Holofernes is moved from the Palazzo Medici Riccardi to the Piazza della Signoria, beside the main door of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.
1496: Juan de Flandes joins the court of Isabella I of Castile.
Sculptures
1491: ** Michelangelo Madonna of the stairs
1492:** Michelangelo Battle of the Centaurs
1494 –
January – Following heavy snowfall in Florence, the Italian sculptor Michelangelo was commissioned by the Medicis to build a snowman.
Tilman Riemenschneider carves the Seated Bishop
1496: The bronze equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni designed by Andrea del Verrocchio and completed by Alessandro Leopardi is unveiled in Venice
1497 Michelangelo Bacchus marble
1498–1499: Michelangelo carves his Pietà for St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, in Carrara marble
Paintings
c.
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