The Pre-Raphaelite Art of Edward Burne Jones Essay

The focal point of the painting is the woman with infant. This is shown by the lighting in the painting being directly on her, the bright red that she is wearing, and the circling of the putti around her figure along with the majority of their gazes being directed at her. The bright light directly behind her and the infant could possibly be coming from the sun behind the clouds in the sky, the putti to her upper right holding the torch, or it could be symbolic in that it is the infant’s halo and representative of his divine nature. The overall piece is not overly dark but the lighting seems to be most focused on the woman, infant, her other children, and the flying putti. This is an example of tenebrism.

This essay aims to investigate two different time periods in the history of art. It will scrutinize the influence that the respective societal contexts had on the different artists, which in turn, caused them to arrange the formal elements in a specific way. I will be examining an Egyptian sculpture of the god Isis nursing Horus, her son, as well as the Vladimir Virgin icon, which dates from the Byzantine era. Experts vary on the precise ‘lifetime’ of the Ancient Egyptian civilization, but according to Mason (2007:10) it existed from 3100 BCE up to 30 BCE. The Byzantine era, which

There is also a striking luminosity to the painting. The man and the woman’s faces appear to slightly glow, as if you can really see the reflection of the sun beaming off of their skin. This was achieved by a complex method of applying glazes. Wood would apply a layer of oil paint, allow it to dry, and then varnish it. This tedious process would be repeated numerous times. It was a process perfected by the 16th century Venetian painter, Titian. The series of glazes seems to have created an overwhelming sense of depth and radiance within the paint.

The two figures of the Archangel and Virgin Mary are close together and it shows a scene of almost touching fingers while they try to reach for one another but seems like they would never join hands. The male figure of the archangel would carry a long feather like pen and it would bow down to the Virgin marry and tries to respectable speak to her. On the other hand, the Virgin Mary seems to be in authority because she is standing up and looking down at the Archangel. This creates tension in the painting while we question the social distinction between the two. Looking closely at the Virgin Mary, her eyes would be close. It is almost like she is resisting the contact from the Archangel and tried to stay away from him. Looking on the left, the Archangel have white wings and there is green-yellowish light that surrounds him and the red clothing on him show that he is there for good news. But the resistance from the Virgin Mary seem like she is unaware of what is happening and is unable to accept the annunciation from the angel.

There is a lot of unifying factors that argue that these paintings are part of a collection together. Both angels are positioned upright in the sky vibrant blue sky, with their body fitting within the picture plane. These angels are adult sized females, wearing flowing clothing. The angels are equal sizes and almost mirror each other, except for an item in their hand and the placement of colours. They are both blond, wearing similar attire, and using similar colour pallets. The angel on the left is wearing a light pink dress with layers under of white and blue. The angel on the right is wearing black with layers under of pink. The clothes gently lift to give the illusion of floating. A lot of moulding and detail in the shadows are used to make the fabric look textured rather than flat. The drapery suggests an attempt at naturalism. There us a lot of details and darks and light in the material. There is a difference between the heavier

In Artwork 1, Mary is placed in the centre of the image between Christ who is on the left and God who is on the right. The Holy Spirit is between the two which forms the Holy Trinity. The composition can be viewed as forming an inverted triangle or heart shape. Mary is the focal figure with an attitude of modesty, reverence and tranquil emotion with her right hand placed upon her heart in which reinforces this. God is expressed as a picture of wisdom as He is crowning the head of Mary with a garland of roses, along side Jesus. The Holy Spirit is present in the image above Mary and is portrayed in the traditional form of a white dove. Cherubs, angelic beings, are visible at the base of the painting which can be interpreted as guards. The use of blue in their garments symbolising heavenly grace in

To fit the theme of a summer setting, along with the annunciation being very holy and happy, the scene is very bright with light and uses some bold bright colors. Both Mary’s bed and God’s outfit are a strong solid red. Bright greens and blues are used on the land and sky outside. The archangel is dressed in a white robe with a red and gold cloak. A strong contrast in colors is used to bring more attention to Mary, as her face is a very light white, while her gown is a very dark green. Overall, while used to grab your attention, the colors do seem very natural to what the scene would like, as perceived in the artist’s time period. The lighting, whoever, seems to be from an unnatural source. It

The bright blue of Mary’s robes ensnare our gaze. This vibrant color contrasts with the neutral tones of browns, whites, greens, and reds. Combined these soft colors emanate a calm ambiance about the painting. The robes of the figures, the Madonna’s in particular are light, airy in a sense. Tri-tone gives a sense of real fabric, and of movement underneath that fabric. Tri-tone and shadowing go beyond the characters however. The architecture in the background expresses a realistic filtered light. We detect an opening in the building by the presence of the tops of trees in the background, and by the light that faintly falls on the face of Madonna. This gentle illumination, once again brings our attention to the faces of Madonna and Child. In comparison, the saints in company are not placed in such a light, figuratively and

The outline of the painting is contrast of dark dull depressing colors. These colors will help make the white pop out to show some symbols. The colors on the background and the people's clothing have a mixture of blue, light blue, orange, red, and brown. This helps enhances the pale skin, the background sky, and the flying soul.

The painting shows man and nature in harmony. A clear sign that he focused mostly on drawing is the geometric forms used in the painting. He used very calm tonality to give it the calmness. His artwork and brushwork are very fluid and focused. This painting has no historical meaning because this painting was after his transition from historical to landscape. Instead of telling a story it is supposed to evoke a calm mood. The golden light contributes to its peacefulness. Now that I have explained both paintings individually, in the following paragraph I will talk about their differences and what makes them different.

Concerning color, there is a stark contrast between the figure on the painting and the background. More specifically, the figure of the woman is predominantly delineated in white color, especially pale, ashen white, as far her apparel and facial complexion are concerned, while there are also various hues of grey, with respect to her hair and accessory feather. These white and grey shades are vividly contrasted with the prevailing red and crimson hues of the background (viz. the drape, armchair, and table). Moreover, one can detect colors of dark green (jewelry), some beige on the left (pillar), and darker or lighter shades of blue on the right side of the canvas (sky), which all in concert and in addition to the subtle purple hue forming the sun or moon exude a certain dramatic sentiment. Also, there is brown, which often easily segues into gold (viz. books and attire details respectively). The main contrast of colors between white and red would be interpreted as serving the purpose of rendering the figure of the woman, and especially her face, the focal point of the work, despite, paradoxically enough, the lush red shades at the background. Bearing that in mind, the significance of the woman’s face will be enlarged upon later, when discussing aspects of her identity.

The feel of the picture lends to emotions of unease and recognition of sexual innuendo. The colors of the painting are vibrant, but for the most part are dark. The heavy tones and shades of the colors are well balanced throughout the piece. It can be noted that the brightest shades of color are found on areas depicting the actual woman. In areas that are understood as landscape, the colors are more dreary and create a sense of instability. Even Hess observes that the

Van Eyck's use of color emphasizes the differences between the brightness of Mary's dress and the figures

The artist, Robert Campin and his disciples, incorporated the patrons of this piece, on the left panel. The two figures pictured were the patron and his wife, which was supposed to connect the viewers with the piece and Christianity as well. The trend of making the artwork more realistic appears frequently, and artists did so through making the holy figures more humanly. Looking at earlier pieces created in the Middle Ages, the Virgin Mary, Saints, and other holy figures were depicted as on a higher, more heavenly level. Artists would elevate the feet, have them facing away from the viewer, and be depicted as highly stylized. However, as shown in The Annunciation Triptych, Campin and his workshop aspired for the viewers and the general public to feel more connected to their religion. Altarpieces were used commonly in early European’s homes, leading the artist to create a typical household scene in the second panel where Mary and the angel were pictured. Thus adding to the connection between the viewer and the Christian religion. Another altarpiece, the Isenheim Altarpiece, shares similar

In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Stephen Dedalus defines beauty and the artist's comprehension of his/her own art. Stephen uses his esthetic theory with theories borrowed from St. Thomas Aquinas and Plato. The discourse can be broken down into three main sections: 1) A definitions of beauty and art. 2) The apprehension and qualifications of beauty. 3) The artist's view of his/her own work. I will explain how the first two sections of his esthetic theory relate to Stephen. Furthermore, I will argue that in the last section, Joyce is speaking of Stephen Dedalus and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man as his art.