ART 202 STEP 2 OF COMPARE-CONTRAST ESSAY: Subject, Interpretation, and Context [Masaccio, Holy Trinity vs. Grunewald, Crucifixion from the Isenheim Altarpiece]
SUBJECT (6 pts.): These paintings seem to have a similar subject. Discuss below any differences in their subjects.
What is the overall subject (focus/theme) of both of these paintings?:
The overall subject of both of these paintings are the crucifixion.
Discuss any differences between them: Masaccio’s fresco the Holy Trinity, is located in a church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. He used knowledge of Brunelleschi’s one-point linear perspective to give an illusion of three dimensional space. Classical orders for the architecture give the illusion of a stone funerary monument. Christ muscles are shown in a realistic way that his body would look hanging on a cross. His body has been wounded and his loin cloth is clean and white. The Christian doctrine of the trinity is shown as God the Father, a dove to represent the Holy Spirit, and Christ as the son. The Virgin Mary is seen gesturing towards Christ indicating that the path to salvation is through the trinity. John the Evangelist is present with his hands clasps as in prayer. There are two donors that are shown on the edge of the fresco that appear to be looking in toward the crucifixion scene. Masaccio’s use of light and shadow in the robes give the figures a roundness to suggest they take up space. The viewer would be looking up at the barrel-vaulted
Gorgeously. Striking. Grace. The golden painting is taking up by the two most iconic symbols of Christianity: Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary. Christ gently placing a golden grown on the inclined head of the Virgin Mary, who is sitting on the right side of Jesus; her hands crossed over her chest symbolist of humble, reverent and loyalty. This position was purposely set by Fabriano. In Christianity art, position is significant in dividing between good manners and malefactors. For instance, in The Last Judgment by Giotto di Bondone in 1305, heaven was placed on right of Christ, and hell was on the left. This ideology was clearly stated in the bible “...before him shall be gathered all nations:
The two paintings by Lichtenstein and Vincent Van Gogh have certain specific similarities. Firstly, the concepts or
The ominous figure in the centre of the foreground - Jesus Christ hanging lifeless on the cross, in Luca di Tommè’s ‘The Crucifixion’, primarily catches the eye. The symmetrical arrangement of lamenting figures around the cross, as well as the gilded background, highlight him as the focal point of this artwork.
While both pieces of Art have men as their main focus the techniques used to bring the pieces to life are greatly different
For My Museum Essay, I have chosen Rogier van der Weyden’s “St. Luke drawing the Virgin” (c. 1435-40). First of all, this painting is an extraordinarily beautiful piece of art, with both meticulous details and true to life emotional state of the figures portrayed. And it intrigued me even more when I found out that there is a very compositionally similar painting by Jan Van Eyck (“Madonna with Chancellor Rolin”).
Although these paintings were painted two hundred and seventeen years apart, they share some similar artistic qualities, but they are not so similar as to be indistinguishable from their own time period. Both Jan Steen and Vincent Van Gogh paint subjects around the table with hats and head coverings, a vanity that seems to stretch through both time periods and up to the modern era as well. The visual textures of both paintings are very similar as well. Each painting gives the illusion of a soft table covering and hard surroundings. In each painting the subjects are enjoying a vice, smoking in The Merry Family and Coffee in The Potato Eaters. The focal point of both paintings is similar too. In each the viewer’s attention is pulled to the table itself and is hastening to observe the people gathered around it. That seems to be where the similarities stop. Jan Steen uses a warm palette with a daytime natural lighting that plays across the painting from the window. In contrast, Van Gogh uses a cool palette and paints his scene at night using the whispering light of an overhead lantern.
Prompt: Select and fully identify two paintings from different art historical periods and cultures that depict the same subject or theme. Then discuss how the presentations are a reflection of the culture and style in which it was created.
The subject of religion has captured the attention of artists for centuries, working its way throughout the years, in and out of various of styles and movements. The artists of this era often found themselves reliant on this subject matter due to Churches being a steady Patron throughout the Renaissance all the way to the Baroque period. Whether it was because of the rich cultural impact to society or the enforcement of strong divine beliefs, depicting biblical narratives have struck an everlasting cord within this medium. Two particular ones, in fact: The Deposition from the Cross (Entombment of Christ) by Jacopo Pontormo and The Entombment of Christ by Michelangelo Caravaggio. Both of which provide an excellent example of how culture and artistic style combined can alter the message of the same iconic scene and still evoke different emotions.
The Holy Trinity by Masaccio was a painting done in approximately 1428. It is a
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.
El Greco’s Lamentation of Christ is “a translation in paint of Michelangelo's late sculptured group of the Pietà in Florence Cathedral, at the time in Rome. The pattern and the feeling are the same. The figures of the Dead Christ, His Mother, Saint Mary Magdalene and Joseph of Arimathea make one compact group. Michelangelo achieved this by his new treatment of form; El Greco by paint, by employing broader, more continuous passages of color. The more vivid colors of Rome combine with the richer palette of Venice to convey the intensity of expression demanded by the subject. The horizontal composition of Venice, more suited to a narrative type of subject than to the single image, is given up and is only very rarely found appropriate in Spain. Michelangelo's Pietà group was not the only source on which El Greco drew: the arrangement of Christ's legs and his outspread arms, no less than the idea of viewing one of the two bearers of his body from the side and the other from behind, derive from Michelangelo's drawing for Vittoria Colonna, in which, as in El Greco's painting, the Virgin is placed behind and above Christ.” (Web Gallery of
The piece of art is a statue that portrays Jesus’ body laying on his mother Mary’s laps at the time after the crucifixion having been removed from the cross (Lewis & Lewis, 2008) which is evidenced by the marks of small nails and the indication of the wound located in Jesus’ side. It revolves around the major theme of Northern origin which during that time was present in France but not in Italy. According to (St. Peters Basilica, 2009) Michelangelo offered a unique interpretation of the pieta to the models since it is a significant piece of work that balances the ideals of a new beginning incorporated in typical beauty and a touch of naturalism which is illustrated by the relationship exhibited by the figures. This is made possible by his skill to prove to both the viewers and himself of the supernatural beauty.
Leonardo’s scientific studies resulted in the paintings of rocks, plants, light and atmosphere. We can see hills, fields and the sky in the tree windows behind Christ. This is in a classical style, shown by the coffered ceiling which was introduced by ancient Greek and Romans and re-introduced again by Alberti. The orthogonals run from the coffered ceiling, the table and windows and from the disciples and their gestures which all then centres on Christ. The use of foreshortening in this painting is to emphasize the drama of the scene and to keep the figures in harmonious groups. As we can see on the third figure on the right, St Philip tries to deny that he would be the betrayer and to show this, his arm is foreshortened. While St Matthew, the fourth figure on the right, has his arms outflung which was made by foreshortening. This gesture was to help portray his horror, as well as his mouth opened talking to the 3 men to the left of him. There are other gestures that helped depict the idea of betrayal, as we can see on the left side of the painting where St Peter whispers to St. John’s ear while pushing Judas forward. All these gestures lead the viewers’ attention to the centre, where Christ is positioned. Behind Jesus, we can see the window where the natural light comes in which frames Christ’s head, like a halo. Christ’s position in the centre allowed him to be in front of the three windows, which symbolizes the Trinity. As well as that, we can see that he
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
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