High Renaissance Art: Defendente Ferrari

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

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).

Throughout the Renaissance period, artists first began to experiment with oil-based paints, mixing powdered pigments with linseed oil. Popular subject matter included Biblical characters and subjects from Greek and Roman mythology. Renaissance art placed a large emphasis on the importance of the Madonna in art. Taking inspiration from classical Roman and Greek art. Making everything seem more life-like and real. P.337 (Document B)

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

In the painting The Immaculate Conception (Figure 1) painted by Antonio de Palomino y Velasco, there is a prominent central figure found in the middle of the canvas. The figure is a woman draped in white and blue garments with red accents and surrounded by cherubs and doves. The woman is the Virgin Mary and has a crown of 12 stars around her head. Both cherubs and doves are often used as religious symbols and this piece of art is Biblical in that it illustrates Mary very much like she is described in the book of Revelation. Revelation 12:1 reads that “…a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun and, the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” During the time period that Antonio Palomino created this piece, there were countless other artists painting similar works with their own spin on things. Notable artists include the likes of Juan de Valdes Leal and Bartolome Esteban Murillo. In this time period, the counter-reformation was taking place and I believe that, as a response to the protestant reformation, the painting of religious images was used to reignite growth in the Catholic Church.

There is no lack of symbolism in Caravaggio’s ‘Martha and Mary Magdalene’. The painting shows the contrast between the two sisters even though they are wearing the same colors. Martha is dressed simply, while Mary is dressed elaborately and provocatively. Mary’s fancy dress is said not to be because of her prostitution, but because of her future loftier spiritual aspiration, in comparison to her sister Martha. Although the way the two are dressed are far from being the only symbols in this piece.

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

The great thing about art, is that there are multiple portrayals of one idea but, the artist’s own personal style allows one to feel something that another may not. Early Renaissance painters, Giotto di Bondone and Duccio di Buoninsegna established their own unique style to depict a biblical scene known as, The Betrayal of Christ. Through a close analysis of each artist’s representation of, The Betrayal of Christ, one is able to compare and contrast the artists own understanding of the scene through their attention to detail, character, and space throughout the painting. When examining these two works, one will have a stronger emotional response towards Giotto’s interpretation rather Duccio’s, due to his methods of handling organization, figures, and space.

One of them being a Florentine master, Fra Angelico’s work, The Adoration of the Magi, produced in the year of 1440 to 1460 C.E. in collaboration with Fra Filippo Lippi. This specific altarpiece used the luxuriousness of Adoration of the Magi as a rhetoric and reflected a philanthropic philosophy to the audience patron, Cosimo de’ Medici, a wealthy and important merchant patron of the Florentine city states. The tempera technique infused the rich and diverse ranges of color into the commission along with the in-detailed shading that created the airy and flowing fabrics of the Magi, appealing to the patron and their renowned guests of the wealth and status they experience, and serving to them as a reminder to act philanthropically to give back to the society as pious believers of Christ. The composition centered around Virgin Mary and the newborn Jesus, pleading to the Humanistic realism of the Florentine Renaissance. As in this depiction, Virgin Mary and baby Christ exhibited their characteristics with humanized behaviors: Virgin Mary glowed with her motherly love while holding her newborn child, and baby Christ on the other hand, was portrayed as a childlike figure rather than a shrunken

Michelangelo Caravaggio made a name for himself by painting his people as how he saw them, instead of making them look celestial and holy he made them look sickly and decrepit. Caravaggio was not born to wealth and as such saw the world differently than others given that he was closer to those in poverty. The people that would usually commission paintings were wealthy upper-class people or people of the church, and they probably never had to see the world as Caravaggio did. So when Caravaggio comes in with these paintings that scream the truth of how the gospel should be portrayed they are thrown away. In his painting “Madonna di Loreto” he paints the two people in poverty as they would actually be, not as perfect looking, beautiful beings,

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)

Stylistic concern is not the only argument that objects the painting’s attribution to Raphael, but also the inferior quality in the rendition of Mary and Christ. Observations of Beck suggest that Mary’s hair looks confusing and unsolved , while the underdrawing revealed by IR investigation shows a clearer representation of the braids that possibly the painter-in-question became more “exclusive on this own during the painting stage that he dropped the refinement of her hair” stemming from mimicking Raphael’s painting when drafting. Furthermore, the current depiction conveys a sense of obfuscation in posing of Mary’s right thigh compared to Small Cowper Madonna (fig. 2) or the Bridgewater Madonna (fig.4), with statically drawn Infant balancing difficultly on the invisible leg of Mary . It is inexplicable that the engravings (fig. 6 and 7) after the painting look more convincing that they have complemented the unnaturalness of the original.

In this artwork attributed to Luca della Robbia made in 1460-70, Virgin and Child with lilies depicts Mary as the mother of God, instead of the queen in heaven, and emphasized the maternal

The Madonna or Virgin Mary was a popular theme for many Middle Age and Renaissance period artists. I will be writing with a view of exploring the following pieces. The first is Madonna Enthroned with Angels and Prophets. [Fig 1] This work was by a prominent artist named Cimabue, or Cenni di Pepo, and was created in Florence, Italy. It is believed to have been done in the Middle Ages from 1280-1290 A.D. and the medium is tempura on wood. At dimensions of 12’7” X 7’4” it is quite large and is currently on display in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. As is implied by its title, the subject matter of this piece is the Virgin Mary and Christ. The second work is The Madonna of the Pinks [Fig 2] by Raphael. Raphael was also a prominent artist of his time, and has often been compared to Leonardo and Michelangelo. This work of oil paint on yew, or fruitwood, was created during the High Renaissance circa 1506-7 A.D. Also created in Florence, Italy, it is a small work, measuring just 27.9 cm X 22.4cm, currently housed as The National Gallery in London. The subject matter of this piece is also that of the Virgin Mary and Christ. Both of these works are excellent examples of why their artists are considered among the greatest of their respective time periods.

When the new upper class movement, Renaissance, occurred in Italy around the 14th century, a revival of the classical forms originally developed by the ancient Greeks and Romans, an intensified concern with secular life, and interest in humanism and assertion of the importance of the individual began. Thus, artists such as Mosaccio and Giotto depicted art that unlike the Middle Ages, showed emotions, feelings, and bright colors, thus demonstrating the deep concern for naturalism in the society. Other artists during the Italian Renaissance period such as Giovanni Bellini began to express their art through secular and religious themes and ideas that were exhibited through landscapes and portraits. As new styles of