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How did Masaccio use color differently from many contemporary Florentine painters?
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Masaccio
Holy Trinity, fresco by Masaccio, 1425–26, in the Church of Santa Maria Novella, Florence.
Unlike many of his contemporary Florentine painters, who frequently utilized pastels and other light colors to create pleasing decorative patterns, Masaccio employed deep, vibrant hues.1
He used color specifically to impart an illusion of solidity and volume to his painted figures, rather than as a means of ornamentation. By combining these rich colors with a consistent fall of light and deep shadows, he was able to create a sense of three-dimensional depth that was unprecedented in the work of his peers.12