Campin's Painting Comparison

When comparing and contrasting, Cimabue’s Madonna Enthroned with Angels and Prophets and Giotto’s Madonna Enthroned, the main idea of Mary is the same just the subject matter differs. Cimabue’s painting shows angels surrounding the throne. In Giotto’s work, the angels are in a more horizontal-like appearance.. These angels are all visibly showing their distinctive features and emotions. In Cimabue’s work, the throne is on a platform and in Giotto’s painting a roof is just above Madonna. These differences add to the painting. Giotto’s Mary looks attached to the ground, while in Cimabue’s Mary is floating. I also notice that Cimabue’s Mary shows lines to define her clothing. I believe to show Mary’s presence dark and light contrast on her to

Religious artwork has been prevalent throughout all of history. Christian artwork has been ever changing and evolving based on what it going on during the time period in which the work was created. In Romanesque artwork, art was imaginative and involved mysticism along with themes that represented their fears of the end of the world. In Gothic artwork, the art turned away from evoking fear and instead had the goal of bringing people into the church. In the fourteenth century, the religious art responded to the crises of the time period. During the Renaissance, artwork shifted to an interest in realism, which can be seen in Raphael’s Madonna and Child with the Young Saint John. The medium for this work of art is oil paint. it was painted in 1500 and is 47 inches in diameter.

Once gracing the lavish floor of Getty Center, the Coronation of the Virgin which was painted by the extraordinary Italian artist Gentile da Fabriano in 1420, attracted many attentions by its sacredness, powerfulness and magic of the Christ. At 36 ⅝ inches and 25 ¼ inches size tempera, Christ gently places the ornate gold grown upon Virgin Mary's slightly bowed head by the watching of angels from either side as she becomes the Queen of Heaven. Since the first century, Christianity has played an important role in Western Art, which has inspired numerous artists in making their masterpieces. However, artists must follow the religious ‘rules to build up the imagery of the Christ, and educate audience about the religious. Coronation of the Virgin by Fabriano is a perfect presentation of that.

Although the surface of the artwork has been fairly damaged by smoke from burning candles and incense, there is still a suggestion of the bright circular halos which had once ‘crowned’ both the Virgin and the child. Cooper relates the symbolism of the circle as “one which expresses archetypal wholeness and totality and therefore divinity” (1982:19). The upper body of Mary appears very large, especially in comparison with the Christ-child, whose body ‘fits’ into her bosom, which is generally associated with comfort. Almost as though she tries to console him concerning his future death (Tansey & Kleiner, 1996: 312).

Another interesting motif is the international influence in the paintings. Even though the paintings have extremely Catholic origins they have some elements of other cultures. One of the biggest ways this is shown is in the sibyls that are between some of the scenes. These sibyls have origins from Africa, Asia, Greece, and Ionia. These paintings also show departure from traditional Catholic values in some of the symbolism the paintings show. In the center of the ceiling there is a painting of man and God, yet God is painted inside the shape of the human brain. In

Christian artwork is used to represent and symbolise the Gospel and important figures. Not all individuals could read and write, therefore images were very important in delivering messages and teachings. One artwork chosen is “Annunciation” by John Collier created in 2003. This modern artwork shows Gabriel asking Mary if she would become the mother of Jesus. The other one is the “Holy Night Nativity Scene” by Antonio Correggio created in 1530, which focuses on and sets the scene of Jesus’ birth.

There is a lot of unifying factors that argue that these paintings are part of a collection together. Both angels are positioned upright in the sky vibrant blue sky, with their body fitting within the picture plane. These angels are adult sized females, wearing flowing clothing. The angels are equal sizes and almost mirror each other, except for an item in their hand and the placement of colours. They are both blond, wearing similar attire, and using similar colour pallets. The angel on the left is wearing a light pink dress with layers under of white and blue. The angel on the right is wearing black with layers under of pink. The clothes gently lift to give the illusion of floating. A lot of moulding and detail in the shadows are used to make the fabric look textured rather than flat. The drapery suggests an attempt at naturalism. There us a lot of details and darks and light in the material. There is a difference between the heavier

     In both paintings, the artists use people to help create the mood of the scene. In Moretto’s Entombment, Moretto depicted each figure with his or her own unique emotion. Saint John the Evangelist (lower left) looks towards Christ with a gaping mouth as if he still can’t believe this is happening. He also holds Christ’s arm like he wants to help in some way but he knows that he can not. Nicodemus (upper left) definitely looks the least emotional of the group but that may be because his beard hides some emotion. Moretto angled Nicodemus’s body toward Christ as if he was trying to help, but restrained himself . Nicodemus also clenches the crown of thorns towards his chest shows in order to show the viewer his grief. Mary (above Christ) looks saddened but also in deep thought. Her eyes wander off into the sky looking at something that we can not see. I think Moretto did this in order to hint to us that Mary foresaw this event and knew that it was part of a greater picture. Joseph of Arimathaea (upper right) has his body turned away slightly, causing him to twist his neck giving us the impression that the event is too terrible for

First, it is tempera on panel, which possibly could explain many imperfections. But what really catches your attention in Gentile’s painting is an absolute lack of air, along with irrational usage of space. It seems like the artist was stacking human figures in the painting, so that everybody’s face would be shown. There we can see a greater deal of International Gothic style (straight lines, look-alike faces, awkward/illogical body positions, etc.) Still the most significant difference between Rogier’s work and Gentile’s work is the usage of space, presence of atmosphere. While going up the hill, in “Adoration of the Magi”, all the details stay the same as if there was no air. It’s impossible to ignore artist’s very primitive light/shadow usage: not only it’s extremely difficult imagine where the light source is, but you can’t even find a single rational shadow. Rogier van Weyden’s “St. Luke drawing the Virgin” surely excelled the painting of Gentile da Fabriano in many aspects.

Annunciation, the fresco, clearly demonstrates the focus on religion in the 15th century. The fresco is part of numerous frescos that were commissioned by the abbot of the Dominican monastery of San Marco. The purpose of the fresco was to give religious reminders and instill piety into the monks who were dedicating their lives to prayer. There is even an inscription at the bottom of the work that reminds the monks to say a Hail Mary when they pass the work. Fra Angelico was greatly influenced by two Gothic artists Gentile da Fabriano and Masaccio. The influence of Fabriano is evident in the drapery and detail of Gabriel's wings which give a decorative style to the fresco. The influence of Masaccio can be seen in the use of realistic depth. The work also uses linear perspective which can be seen in the line between garden and the architecture. However, the lighting and the proportions of the figures within the architecture are irrational. It could be said that these artistic 'mistakes' were

The Gothic ivory statuette is of the Virgin Mary standing in a vertical composition. Mary’s body pushes against the force of gravity; she seems tall and strong. The nature of the vertical composition forces the viewer to look at the image from top to bottom. As we examine Mary, she feels natural and relaxed because she stands with most of her weight shifted to one side, creating a contrapposto. This pose, though asymmetrical, provides balance when we consider the figure cradled on her hip. The Christ child sits, pressed into Mary’s side and supported by her left arm. Christ grasps the flowing folds of his mother’s veil in one hand, and in the other, he holds a fruit. Together, these figures create a triangle. Mary’s head forms the apex of the triangle where her right arm and Christ form the base corners. Mary dominates the tip of the composition, and she serves as the vertical component. The vertical nature of the piece impacts how the viewer interacts with the piece. The statuette seems to ascend, or refer to the heavens. The composition acts as a reminder that this piece holds a holy or spiritual

Throughout history, people have used paintings and art as a tool to express their religious beliefs and values. Illustrations depicting the Virgin Mary and child, often referred to as Madonna and Child, are one of the most recurring images in Christian and European Art through the ages. Though these paintings and sculptures may have similarities in their iconography and style each work of art varies based on the different artists’ and time periods. Two paintings that portray these features currently reside in the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. The first, Virgin and Child by Rogier van der Wyden, was originally painted after 1454. In the painting, the Virgin Mary is holding Christ against her shoulder as he twists around to face toward the viewers. The second painting is Virgin and Child with a Donor, painted by Antoniazzo Romano and originally painted c. 1480. In this painting, Virgin Mary is supporting Christ who seems to be standing and includes a figure of a man with his hands crossed in prayer. While both paintings depict the mother and child, there are both similarities and differences in style and portrayal. In this paper, I will thoroughly examine these traits, as well as address the similarities and differences associated with the two paintings. This analysis will be done by using information gained from reading Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, in class lectures from ARTH 1381 Art and Society Renaissance to Modern and ARTH 1300 Ways of Seeing Art, and close visual

It was commissioned by Cosimo de' Medici the Elder, and was completed between 1438 and 1440. The tempera on wood painting depicts an enthroned Virgin Mary and Child surrounded by kneeling saints and Angels. The position of the characters in the foreground combined with the horizontal curtains creates a receding landscape. The yellow amber curtains in the foreground of the trees establishes a distinct horizontal viewing line separating the two events of the faraway landscape from the interior space of the Virgin Mary, Child, and the saints and Angels. While partially covered by the saints and angels, there is a definite line created by the carpet's receding squares in the foreground adding depth to the painting. Angelico painting also employs a naturalistic effect of light, colors and a variety of patterns. His usage of the red and blue colors of the Virgin and St. Cosmas and Damian allows the viewer to have a smooth and continuous movement from figure to figure which leads to a vertical and centered view of Virgin Mary and

John the Baptist is also allowed to stand near the holy mother and child, and an angel is present. Because of this, the viewer contends with a literal story rather than a simple image as in “Madonna Enthroned”. Also in Puligo’s image, where the central figures are larger and better seen, there are religious symbols used. The same might be true in Giotto’s work but the details are harder to distinguish.

The artist, Robert Campin and his disciples, incorporated the patrons of this piece, on the left panel. The two figures pictured were the patron and his wife, which was supposed to connect the viewers with the piece and Christianity as well. The trend of making the artwork more realistic appears frequently, and artists did so through making the holy figures more humanly. Looking at earlier pieces created in the Middle Ages, the Virgin Mary, Saints, and other holy figures were depicted as on a higher, more heavenly level. Artists would elevate the feet, have them facing away from the viewer, and be depicted as highly stylized. However, as shown in The Annunciation Triptych, Campin and his workshop aspired for the viewers and the general public to feel more connected to their religion. Altarpieces were used commonly in early European’s homes, leading the artist to create a typical household scene in the second panel where Mary and the angel were pictured. Thus adding to the connection between the viewer and the Christian religion. Another altarpiece, the Isenheim Altarpiece, shares similar