From the artist's life
His fresco The Holy Trinity used mathematically exact perspective so convincingly that the painted vault looks like a real chapel cut into the wall.
Source: Wikipedia / WikimediaRenaissance
Masaccio
Masaccio (1401–1428) was the revolutionary young genius who launched the Renaissance in painting, mastering linear perspective and natural, weighty figures. He achieved all this and died at just 27.
Every Renaissance master who followed — from Leonardo to Michelangelo — learned from Masaccio's solid, believable space.
- Brought scientific perspective and real weight to painting.
- His Brancacci Chapel frescoes became a school for later masters.
- A revolutionary genius who died at only 27.
Key works
Where to start
Complete list of key works
Works with a dedicated ArtAtlas page are highlighted in gold.
- Holy TrinityOn ArtAtlas
- Coin in the fish's mouthListed for reference
- Expulsion from the Garden of EdenListed for reference
- Virgin and Child with Saint AnneListed for reference
- CrucifixionListed for reference
- Pisa PolyptychListed for reference
- Baptism of the NeophytesListed for reference
- San Giovenale TriptychListed for reference
- Madonna and ChildListed for reference
- Saint PaulListed for reference
- Desco da partoListed for reference
- St. Peter Healing the Sick with His ShadowListed for reference
1420
Holy Trinity
Masaccio used mathematical perspective to make a painted chapel appear physically cut into the wall — a spatial breakthrough that changed Renaissance painting.