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Idealism In The Vesperbild

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Throughout the history, the terms idealism and realism have evolved, starting from the Greek’s sculptures and influencing different regions. Idealism in art means conveying the ideal and artistic side of the subject, and it tends to depict “what should be” more than “what it really is”. On the other hand, realism tends to care more about the true representation of the subject without idealizing it and giving it extra features that makes it close to the viewers. In this paper, I will be addressing the theme of realism using the Vesperbild sculpture from the Middle Rhine Region in Germany as an example, discussing the “Pieta”, its cultural context, and its impact on the Christians back then.
The Vesperbild (also called the Roettgen Pieta) is a wooden sculpture that was made around 1330 C.E. by an unknown artist during the fourteenth century in the Middle Rhine Region in Germany. This piece of art was made in the Gothic period or Middle Ages and reflects the kind of mysticism that emerged vastly at that time. The wooden sculpture depicts Marry, the mother of God, in …show more content…

This was a fundamental core in Christianity, which helped worshippers to contemplate during their prayers. Another realistic characteristics were the wounds and blood, showing the facial features of any person that was subjected to torture and death. The most realistic point in this sculpture is the story of Jesus and Marry. Their life was harsh and they lived in poverty, which was very similar to the life Germans had at that era of time, and this drew an intimate connection to them. Plus, the realism was shown in Mary’s face reflected by the confusion, anger, and sadness. This theme influenced many Medieval sculptures, specifically the French ones representing the pieta as

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