Masaccio, << muh SAH chee `oh` >> (1401-1428), an Italian painter, was one of the first great masters of the Italian Renaissance. He brought a new naturalness to painting through the use of strong modeling and lifelike poses. Masaccio’s The Holy Trinity is the first monumental painting to use the newly invented device of perspective. In addition, the effects of light and atmosphere gave a new realism to his work. Masaccio’s art was admired by many famous Italian Renaissance painters, including Michelangelo and Raphael.
Masaccio was born on Dec. 21, 1401, in San Giovanni di Valdarno, Italy, near Florence. His real name was Tommaso Cassai, but he was nicknamed Masaccio–which means simple Tom–because of his absent-mindedness. He studied art in Florence and gained recognition as a master painter by the time he was 21.
Masaccio’s most important work is a series of frescoes in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence. One of the paintings in this series, The Tribute Money, shows his advanced use of form and perspective.
