I’ve often wondered what it was like to walk down one of the Italian Palazzos during their heyday. They’re beautiful now, but can you imagine what it felt to be surrounded by those beautiful colors plastered on the walls? During the renaissance there was a resurgence of appreciation for Ancient Greek and Roman art and motifs that resulted in some of the most iconic works of art. A reawakened interest in how understanding the human anatomy could influence art gave way to breathtaking creations such as the Sistine Chapel and The Birth of Venus. Now picture yourself carrying one of these masterpieces on your skin.
Tanya De Souza-Meally is a tattoo artist based in Berlin who creates dot work designs that appear as sketches of the Ancient Greek or Renaissance masters. They’re so intricate, yet appear so effortlessly drawn that one might almost forget these were not made by a pencil on paper. The shading and expressions captured by the artist present a new way to enjoy as well as prove your love for the artistry of the era of Humanism.
De Souza-Meally not only takes inspiration from the Italian frescoes and sculptures, but also has pieces based off of nineteenth century and contemporary works. Yet these also keep carrying that sense of an artist sketching away inspiration while observing the works of ancient masters.
Now imagine becoming the canvas for the artist’s creations. Would you feel like a renaissance citizen walking between the small alleys, glimpsing through the windows into the studios of painters, sculptors, and inventors as they bring to life their ideas and inspirations?
When the philosophers and artists of the fifteenth century began to reopen the ancient letters, they began a period of introspection and reflection into the purpose of humanity. While the middle ages where full of religious righteousness, the Renaissance humanists believed in creating a better world through beauty. Through representations of ancient mythology and biblical motifs, they presented a new perspective, one that saw a chance for humanity to overcome the darkness and look towards the future.
To have Medusa, Athena, or even Marcus Aurelius forever imprinted on your body could symbolize your connection to the ideas of a moment in time when the most enlightened looked to the past to understand their present. They reclaimed the knowledge of old in order to preserve techniques and monumental comprehension of natural history and human perfection.
Today we can look at the remains and ruins of the Renaissance and sigh at their magnificence. We can only image the vibrancy of the colors and the detail that has now been eroded from the murals. Yet, even in this state, they inspire us to continue searching for knowledge. This is why Tanya De Souza-Meally’s work is so praised and in high demand. Her designs become walking remembrances of a time when humanity awoke from its slumber and came face to face with its beauty.
Whatever you find yourself choosing, this artist’s style is so unique that even when basing it off of the most beloved artworks in the world, you’ll have something that is only yours. Your skin will be a corner or central garden of the Italian Palazzos. You’ll stare at it in the sun and realize that you have brought together the knowledge of the past and married it to the understanding of the present.
You can check out more of Tanya De Souza-Meally’s tattoos on her Instagram.
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