Final answer:
Giorgione was a Venetian High Renaissance artist known for introducing oil on canvas and for his enigmatic subject matters, most notably in 'The Tempest'. His dismissal of Florentine disegno and his use of elusive themes marked a significant shift in the art of the time, impacting future artists and contributing to the Italian Gothic to Renaissance transition.
Step-by-step explanation:
Giorgio Barbarelli da Castlefranco, known as Giorgione (c. 1477-1510), was a pivotal figure in the history of Venetian painting during the High Renaissance. What made Giorgione's work unique was his pioneering use of oil on canvas, as opposed to the traditional oil on panel. His technique resulted in less underdrawing, demonstrating a departure from the Florentine disegno, and embracing a more intuitive approach to composition and form.
Giorgione's subject matters were known for being elusive and mysterious, a characteristic exemplified by his famous work, The Tempest (c. 1505-1510). This particular painting is lauded for its enigmatic content, making it a topic of much debate among art historians. Furthermore, Giorgione's contributions to Italian Gothic art included his intense portrayal of emotions, which influenced his contemporaries and marked the dawn of the Renaissance in Venice. Through his distinct handling of color and emotion, Giorgione, along with his peers such as Titian and Veronese, prioritized colorito (color) over disegno (design), thereby defining the aesthetic of the Venetian School during the period.