Who Am I?

I am Tomasso Masaccio! The man who kick-started the Renaissance!

People always say to me, “Hey, Masaccio – great name!”

I say, “Molte grazie, I am Masaccio!”

Then they ask me, “So, Masaccio…what exactly IS the ‘Renaissance?’”

And I say to them, “MASACCIO IS THE RENAISSANCE!”

I say this because I was a trend-setter. I was the best painter of my generation because of my skill at imitating nature, and the way I was able to create life-like human figures and movements. I mastered the ability to portray a convincing sense of three-dimensionality in my work, and I used classical nudes as models, which no one had done very effectively until I came along.

My work is all about the use of spacial depth.

The year is 1427, and I have just finished my masterpiece, Adam and Eve Expelled From Paradise in the Brancacci Chapel in Florence, Italy.

My good friend Fil Brunelleschi invented linear perspective – well, actually he stole it from someone else – but anyway, he passed his secret on to me and I ran with it, baby. Some people [like Vasari] claim that I invented Art itself…simply because I painted people standing with their feet on the ground!

Rendering my figures in such a way merely gives them the liveliness and humanity they deserve. I believe that to be a good painter, you must understand these things: three-dimensional form; architectural space; and above all: perspective. I owe a big debt of gratitude to my compatriots Donatello Ghiberti and Brunelleschi for helping me develop these concepts, as well as Giotto…but him not so much.

But the figures I paint are monumental – even sculptural. The most important influence on my art was – are you ready for this? – ANCIENT ROME.

That is the real secret of The Renaissance.

I know that some of my friends and colleagues might be offended by my usage of elements from these ‘non-Christian’ themes, but I firmly believe that by looking to the past we can better see our future. The art of the classical period is a good place to start.

I don’t know what my next project will be. I have my entire life ahead of me.*

The reality of human existence is profound.

I am MASACCIO!

*[I have only one year left to live…]