Short answers, pulled from the story.
Mannerism began between 1510 and 1520 in Florence and Rome. The style lasted until the end of the 16th century when Baroque painting took over, though Northern Europe continued the movement well into the early 17th century.
Jacopo Pontormo painted Joseph in Egypt in 1517 using incongruous colors like pinks and blues. Agnolo Bronzino served as court painter for the Medici family starting in 1539 after studying under Jacopo Pontormo. El Greco completed Laocoön in 1610 near Toledo, Spain, elongating figures into tortured anatomy against acid-colored palettes.
Artists deliberately distorted perspective to create unique imagery rather than perfect space. Colors became pure and intense, often detracting from overall design while complementing it. Complexions turned milky white with smooth effacement of muscles, prioritizing compositional tension over balance.
Early Mannerist artists fled the city searching for employment across the continent following the Sack of Rome in 1527. Their style spread throughout Italy and Northern Europe through prints and illustrated books rather than direct contact alone. Rosso Fiorentino brought Florentine Mannerism to Fontainebleau in France by 1530, founding what became known as the School of Fontainebleau.
Michelangelo, Clément Marot, Giovanni della Casa, and Torquato Tasso represented literary figures involved in mannerist practices during the late 16th century. Tim Carter discussed how rich musical possibilities provided an attractive basis for madrigals rising to prominence in Italian culture. The Early Commedia dell'Arte ran from 1550 to 1621, employing exaggerated effects and virtuosity without formal boundaries.