I traveled to the National Gallery of Art in DC to observe the impact the Renaissance had on the style and characteristics artists would use in their paintings going forward. In order to do so, I decided to compare two Italian paintings; one during the time of Renaissance, and the other predating the movement. While searching for the paintings I would compare, I stumbled across a painting in between the times of these two paintings, and I decided to compare that painting as well. To make the most accurate comparisons, I focused on the portrayals of the Madonna and Child, as this seemed to be very prevalent throughout the Medieval and Renaissance eras.
The first depiction of Madonna and Child I analyzed (Image 1), was painted by Margaritone d’Arezzo in about 1240 AD. It appeared to be very bland, with most of its few colors gravitating toward the color brown. The prominence of the blue in Madonna’s dress was the only thing that separated her from
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This painting also featured Saint Peter and Saint John the Evangelist. Upon first glance, the painting seemed much more realistic than the other painting by d’Arezzo. This could be attributed to the painter’s use of shadows to portray a small amount of depth. Additionally, the painting was much more vivid and colorful than that of d’Arezzo’s painting, which added to its realistic properties. For instance, the blue color of Madonna’s outfit allowed her stand out when placed upon the gold colored background. Also, the small details made the people seem more lifelike. An example would be the fine detail in the fabric, and how it folded and rippled like that of a real piece of fabric. Finally, the more accurate human proportions made the painting more believable. For example, the baby, unlike the other painting, was chubby and did not yet have developed facial features, which made it seem like you were looking at an actual
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
Many ages of art shine through Duccio’s portraying of Mary in Madonna Enthroned (fig. 6). Both being trained in the Greek manner, Duccio’s version of Siena’s patron saint is comparable to Cimabue’s Enthroned Madonna and Child with Angels and Prophets from the year 1280 2 (fig. 7). Duccio, however, took a softer
Through art, man started to change their view on themselves. Paintings during The Middle Ages focused a lot on God and religious views, but not a lot on man itself. During The Renaissance, however, paintings shifted to being much more realistic with humanistic features. Berlinghiero’s Madonna and Child from 1228 shows a woman holding a small child (Doc. A). There are a few facial and body features added such as on the nose and the hands. It shows Mary holding her child, showing that he is “the way to salvation” (Doc. A).
paintings of the Virgin and Child from that time period, probably because of the power
Barna da Siena’s Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine and Other Scenes from 1340 is vastly different in content, composition, and a number of other attributes from Fra Carnevale’s 1467 painting Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple. It is clear between the roughly hundred years between when the two were painted that advancements in realistic painting soared and a further appreciation for realism and humanism developed. The need to portray more than just the holy subjects, and to show how far painting had evolved is evident in the differences between Barna and Fra Carnevale’s works. Although, the emotion behind Barna’s work, and its significance are, in my eyes, far greater than that of Fra Carnevale’s.
This paper will compare the themes found in the paintings "Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist and an Angel" by Domenico di Bartolomeo Ubaldini (Puligo) and "Madonna Enthroned" by Giotto. Both paintings deal with fables from the Christian faith but were executed during different periods in art. The Giotto painting was created around 1310 and the Puglio painting was executed between 1518 1520. Here, these two paintings have similar themes both at the extreme beginnings and endings of the Italian Renaissance, and as such they serve to present an exceptional example of the developments in art that occurred within that time. This paper shall compare
Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner's Art through the Ages: A Global History, Fourteenth Edition, Volume II.
“From prostitute to sibyl to mystic to celibate nun to passive helpmeet to feminist icon to the matriarch of divinity’s secret dynasty.” (James Carroll “Who is Mary Magdalene”) What we know for sure is that Mary Magdalene was a former sinner that became a leading figure in Jesus’ followers. She stayed by Jesus’ side, to the end, she visited him at his tomb, and was the first person that Jesus “appeared after his resurrection and the first to preach the “Good News” of that miracle.” During the time period of this painting Mary Magdalene, a sinner and prostitute, illustrated “the very essence of spiritual conversion.” (Ebert-Schifferer 63) It’s no stretch to say that the painting is meant to show the moment at which Mary changes her ways, and becomes “married to the word of god”. The conversion of Mary was a new concept to Rome, The book “Caravaggio: The Artist and His Work” claims that this painting is the first to depict it.
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
Art in the Medieval Times was dreary and bland. Many works of art were solely about God or holy figures. The most obvious change from the Renaissance to Medieval Times was the arts, according to Document A and also that “One begins to know the names of the artists ... feel stronger emotions in the subjects”. This shows that Renaissance art not only changed in style, in changed in how it made the viewer feel when seeing the art. Similarly, in Document A, Renaissance art is described as “new artistic styles would echo the broader movements and interests of the new age.…”. As compared to Medieval Times, the style of art became something similar to the time that people could relate to. In the Medieval Times, art was just meant to extol God’s many feats. People who viewed the painting were supposed to put that style of art on a pedestal. Medieval art was supposed to be worshipped, not so much understood. The individual in the Medieval Times was supposed to take away from the painting that the only thing that mattered in their life was the Roman Catholic church and God already had a plan for their lives. But in comparison, Renaissance art was supposed to empower and help people of the time to understand themselves and the fact that they can change their own lives.
This period housed many depictions of the Virgin Mary, including Cimabue’s Enthroned Madonna and Child. Mary was seen as the perfect example of feminine virtue, showing chastity, piety, humility, and maternity. Images of the Madonna, or Mary, whether sculpture or painting, encouraged women to live up to her. Mary wasn’t the only woman that was looked up to in Renaissance art. Women could be portrayed as witches, saints, temptresses, or members of the working class, and their image would still be an encouragement to dress and behave properly. (Jacobs)
It is claimed by the National Gallery that the use of pigments in Madonna in the Pinks coincides Raphael’s common choice of pigment in other paintings and they also postulated the painting to be a study of Leonardo’s Benois Madonna (fig. 8) However, the identification of
The present work is focused on undertaking an in-depth analysis of two famous religious paintings: The Virgin and Child by Barnaba da Modena, an Italian painter from the fourteenth century, and The Elevation of the Cross by Peter Paul Rubens, a seventeenth century Flemish artist and diplomat. Following, by comparison, a thorough account of the two works' features, careful observation reveals more than one interpretation.
The two portraits are associated with mysteries that have baffled analysts and historians for many years. First, the identity of the women was vastly unknown. The exact identity of the woman in the Mona Lisa has remained a mystery. While searching for answers, historians sought to know the time when the portrait was created. According to them, the portrait must have been created when Francesco Del Giocondo and his wife purchased a house in 1503 or during the birth of their son in 1502. Thus, some analysts conclude that the portrait was dedicated to the wife of Francesco Del Giocondo. The nature of clothing often backs the argument. The gown and scarf represented an aristocratic status. The
Also the crisp outlines of the jewel-colored shapes created by their clothing as well as the continuity of folds and gestures, creates a rhythmic pattern crisscrossing the surface showing the element of design (Stubblebine). The imagery in Madonna and Child is displayed in how the artist expresses himself, and how the artwork communicates with the viewer. The artist expresses himself in that the work is symbolic. It is symbolic in that it depicts the sacred realm and the account of Mary and the Child it also emphasized the thirteenth century devotional practice on experiencing the sacred figures as real (Stokstad 259). In addition, the work was created within a structured stylistic context of devotional images and icons, and was not created as a personal expression. The Madonna and Child painting communicates with the viewer, in that the sense of human interaction convinces the viewer that the two figures exist in real space and time (Tomkins 3) and the intimate interaction between the Child and the Madonna evokes a human response from the viewer. Duccio explored the world of sentiment and empathetic emotional response with a lyricism and sensitivity to color. Some examples of this is the tender gesture of the Child, the distant glaze of the Virgin, yet deeply moving expression, the use of drapery folds to describe the forms of the