Biographical Notes
Correggio (Antonio Allegri) (1494–1534). Centered in Parma, he took
spatial illusionism to a new level of daring in his dome frescoes in the
cathedral and the Church of St. John the Evangelist. He used a soft, À uid
brushwork in his easel paintings, especially of erotic nudes, that anticipated
the 18th-century Rococo style.Courbet, Gustave (1819–1877). French painter and the greatest exponent
of Realism; best known for his earthy scenes of peasant life around the
provincial town of Ornans, including The Stonebreakers.Dali, Salvador (1904–1989). Spanish painter and one of the leading artists
of Surrealism. His paintings depict a dream world in which everyday objects
are transformed in bizarre ways.Dante Alighieri (1265–1321). Author of the Divine Comedy, one of the
enduring masterpieces of world literature. This long theological poem,
written in the vernacular rather than Latin, was the most inÀ uential work in
establishing Italian as the written language of Italy. A Florentine, he spent
most of his life as a political exile.Daumier, Honoré (1808–1879). French painter, sculptor, and lithographer
known for his newspaper caricatures critiquing the vicissitudes of French
life and often attacking the government of France.David, Jacques-Louis (1748–1825). The greatest painter in the Neoclassical
style, David was also involved with important political events in his lifetime,
from the French Revolution to the downfall of Napoleon.Degas, Edgar (1834–1917). French painter and sculptor who was an
important member of the Impressionist circle. A friend of Manet’s, his subject
matter included the ballet, theater, circus, racetrack, and café life of Paris.Delacroix, Eugène (1798–1863). The greatest French Romantic painter,
Delacroix inÀ uenced the development of Impressionism. Well known for
his paintings of literary, historical, and contemporary events, and of exotic
subjects inspired by a trip to Morocco.