Masaccio: Parmigianino

Duccio’s Maestà towered over six feet and consisted of fifty-five framed panels painted with egg-based tempera. Madonna Enthroned, the largest section of the entire structure, dominated the front plane of the altarpiece. The same side was comprised of scenes of the life of Mary from Annunciation to her death (fig. 4). The reverse side compiled the life of Christ into 42 separate panels from the Baptism of Christ to events occurring after Resurrection (fig. 5).

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.

The basilica of Santa Maria Novella, with a Renaissance façade that was completed about 100 years after the Decameron was written.

The Good Shepherd in the Catacombs of St. Pietro and Marcellius is a fresco found in Rome during the fourth century. It contains shapes of crosses with Christ in the center and the good shepherd. It uses orans that are figures without stretched hands representing a prayer towards Heaven.

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

I agree with you, Erin. The fundamental aspect of man that makes him marvelous, according to Pico, is that he is essentially free to choose his own destiny. I loved the question Pico posed: “Why, I asked, should we not admire the angels themselves and the beatific choirs more” (28)? After all, what makes man more marvelous than the angels they themselves praise? Following this, Pico made an important distinction between mankind and both the creatures that dwell in Heaven and on Earth: “The nature of all other creatures is defined and restricted within laws which We have laid down; you, by contrast, impeded by no such restrictions, may, by your own free will, to whose custody We have assigned you, trace for yourself the lineaments of your own nature” (29). Here, we see that through personal thought, decisions and actions, man can, as Erin has quoted, descend to a lower form of life or ascend to a divine life (29). According to Pico, not even the highly-regarded angels posses this free-will. Therefore, now we begin to understand that it is not a matter of hierarchical rank that makes man marvelous, yet the unique ability humans have has to shape their life. This is why there is nothing more marvelous than man.

Upon walking into Gallery 250 of Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, one will find on the wall a particularly eye-catching piece of art. The piece, set high on the corner of the wall encompassed by pictures depicting scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, is Giulio Cesare Procaccini's The Scourging of Christ. In this piece, Procaccini's masterful use of light and shadows in a technique called chiaroscuro dramatically portray the torturing of Christ, and it is this very application of chiaroscuro that immediately caught my eye. Through his masterful rendition of value, Procaccini successfully evoked within me a crushing sensation of agony. While I did not initially realize that the piece was one of Christ, research enabled me to witness how

Similarly, the image of Madonna Enthroned was painted by Cimabue in Italy during the 13th Century, an interesting period of the country’s religious and art history. It was during the 13th Century that Italy was on the brink of a great revival known as the Renaissance. Cimabue’s work represents the best of the Byzantine Tradition. Cimabue is also the well-known teacher of Giotto, one of the leading artists of the Italian Renaissance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimabue

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 Deposition from the Cross (Entombment of Christ) by Jacopo Pontormo was completed in 1528 and originally resided in the Florence Charterhouse as the main altarpiece. With it’s distinct iconography, the work was intended to show the public the raw suffering of Christ after his sacrifice and how those around him felt at the time of his death. It holds an uplifting and even hopeful tone with it’s “sour” color palette, a stable for the Mannerist movement.

The Holy Trinity by Masaccio was a painting done in approximately 1428. It is a

Like the famous works inside the Brancacci chapel, the Trinity is done in fresco. This technique is performed by applying the pigments directly onto a wet plaster wall. This medium would not have allowed Masaccio the luxury

This unique blending of fresh ideas and rejuvenating classical ideas defined Masaccio’s artwork and more importantly the art of the early renaissance.

This source is a picture showing the San Lorenzo church, which was known as the Medici chapel. The San Lorenzo Church is originated in Florence in 1419. It also is the Tomb of Lorenzo de' Medici. Michelangelo makes an imprint on the San Lorenzo church by adding architectural designs and