Saint Catherine's Transfiguration

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:

perspective is used very well to make the mountains in the far distance appear quite a bit hazier than the church that is supposed to be a little closer to the viewer, and that is even slightly hazier than the brick wall, shrubs, and trees that are right outside of that archway. David also makes the objects that are meant to be closer much larger. That mountain, of course, would be massive. But, because of the perspective he uses, it appears to be only about the size of the top of the church. Additionally, almost all of the figures in the painting lead the viewer's eye right to the baby Jesus. Each of the angels, except the one playing the guitar, are looking directly at him so that when the viewer looks at them, they immediately look over to Jesus. Even Mary, who is also the subject of the composition, is looking down at the baby. Renaissance paintings often used tricks like that to draw the viewer's eye to the main subject, which was usually Jesus.

Sitting in the dark at night, we gaze up at the night sky, in awe and wonder. Through the sacrifice of our certainty, confidence, knowledge—civilization in a manner even—we are able to see the stars, planets, heavens, something beautiful we would never see without them. It is only by willing sacrifice, forfeiture, or things we hold dear that we are able to realize something truly beautiful, and "Transfiguration," by Annie Dillard argues thus. In "Transfiguration" Annie Dillard utilizes analogy to convince the reader to become writers, even though it involves a life of sacrifice.

Paolo de Matteis’s esteemed work The Adoration of the Shepherds is a large painting, depicting a classic Christian Nativity scene, that is displayed in the Dallas Museum of Art. In the piece, a dozen or so individuals surround the newborn Christ and his parents, gazing at him in admiration and paying him homage while animals look serenely on and angels assemble around the heads of the Holy Family. The artist employs several classic artistic elements in his painting, such as line, light, color, and shape, to draw the viewer’s focus directly to his intended point of emphasis, the infant Jesus.

Within the painting are six individuals. In the middle is Madonna and Child. To the left is Saint Francis and John the Baptist, and to the right; Saint Zanobius, the Florence Patron, and Saint Lucy. These individuals are equally placed in the foreground of the painting, bringing our attention right to them, however there is a group of two that is the most important. If you look at the gestures of

The Christ in Majesty with Symbols of the Four Evangelists uses an interesting technique in its apse, compared to previous Byzantine decorations in apses. It incorporates the technique of fresco painting, where artists painted pigments into the plaster and wood on the walls so the paint would become one with the walls similar to methods used in ancient Greece, compared to exercising mosaics as decorations in apses. The artist mostly employed primary pigments in the Christ in Majesty with Symbols of the Four Evangelists to make the figures stand out. A repetition occurs in the pigments with red, gold-like yellow, and blue with the occasional purple and the hair colors vary with tones of brown and grayish white.

A Comparison of Barna di Siena’s Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine and Rogier van der Weyden’s Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin and Child

The Christ in Majesty with Symbols of the Four Evangelists uses an interesting technique, compared to the previous Byzantine decorations in apses. The Spanish apse incorporates the technique of fresco painting, where artists painted pigments into the plaster and wood on the walls so the paint would become one with the walls, similar to methods used in ancient Greece, compared to exercising mosaics as decorations in Byzantine

He told them to go to a man’s house and tell him that the teacher said that He will have Passover at his house with His disciples. The disciples did that and they prepared for the Passover. When they were eating Passover, Jesus told them that one of them would betray Him. 11 of the disciples were shocked. One by one they asked, “Lord, is it I?”

The composition is built on the simple geometry of a pyramid, common among Renaissance artworks. The viewer’s attention is drawn immediately to Christ not only because He is located in the center, but the empty spaces surrounding him also serve as an emphasis. In addition, it gives off a sense of loneliness and isolation, knowing He is about to be betrayed. The twelve apostles are separated into four groups of three, with Christ as the central axis. Leonardo Da Vinci maintained the balance and symmetry within the space of the pyramid, dividing the four groups of apostles equally on both sides. The linear placement of the groups of apostles provides a balance and prevents overemphasis and attention on the center.

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.

Although, the way Leonardo allows its viewers to depict the scene from a specific point in the Bible adds to the importance and significance of the painting in which no other artist could even compare. He does allow the viewer to recognize this scene by the gestures of both the Lord and the Apostles. The Lord sits ever so quietly while the Apostles rise in reaction to what the Lord had just announced. It is rather obvious that Leonardo chose the critical moment after the Lord had stated, ‘Verily I say unto you that one of you shall betray me,' because of the emotions that evolve in this specific scene (Matt. 26.21).

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

John the Baptist is also allowed to stand near the holy mother and child, and an angel is present. Because of this, the viewer contends with a literal story rather than a simple image as in “Madonna Enthroned”. Also in Puligo’s image, where the central figures are larger and better seen, there are religious symbols used. The same might be true in Giotto’s work but the details are harder to distinguish.

“Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, this is My Beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him! When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. Jesus came to them and touched them and said, get up, and do not be afraid. Lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has