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
analytical Essay
1473 words
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
Development in art often follows two tracks: development over a period of time and also differences in regional development. Both changes are seen in the comparison of Barna di Siena’s Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine and Rogier van der Weyden’s Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin and Child. Originating in Italy, the Renaissance began in the mid to late 13th century. Barna da Siena was one of the early Renaissance artists influenced by Duccio di Buoninsegna and Simone Martini. Barna di Siena’s painting is dated around 1340 and Rogier van der Weyden’s painting was painted nearly a century later around 1435. Rogier van der Weyden had the advantage of development in perspective and modeling that developed over time, but was also from the Flemish school of art, a style totally different from that of the early Italian Renaissance artists. What lends these paintings so readily to comparison is the fact that the general symmetrical composition of two main figures and the sizes of the two are approximately the same. However, it is clear that a century and a different region has created stylized differences that are very clear.
Barna di Siena’s Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine exhibits a highly dramatic style that was not seen in his mentor nor in his fellow student Lippo Memmi’s work. The symmetric composition consists of two main figures, Saint Catherine and the adult Jesus. In the painting, Jesus is seen placing a ring on Saint Catherine’s finger and taking her as his spiritual bride. Both figures appear to be very light and frail and the draperies they wear do not show the human f...
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...rlapping figures, relative positioning from the ground line and also the illusion of making parallel lines join somewhere far away in the distance.
These two paintings represent typical examples from 14th century Italian artist, Barna da Siena, and 15th century Flemish artist, Rogier van der Weyden. Both images depict two main characters in a rather symmetrical composition and are of large size. However, it is clear that over a century and different region the stylized differences are very clear. Realism, the style of Flemish artists at the time, with all of its detail, is quite different from the large, flat shapes of color in Barna da Siena’s painting. Just by looking at the two, it is evident that the second painting is more advanced and developed. Art continues developing along different tracks today and who knows what art will develop into in the future.
In this essay, the author
- Compares barna di siena's mystic marriage of saint catherine with rogier van der weyden'
- Compares barna di siena's mystic marriage of saint catherine and rogier van der weyden’s saint luke drawing the virgin and child.
- Analyzes how barna di siena's mystic marriage of saint catherine exhibits a dramatic style that was not seen in his mentor nor in lippo memmi’s work.
- Analyzes how barna di siena's painting was done in tempera, a pigment dissolved in egg. the sharp brushstrokes and rhythmic lines in the robes add to the flatness of the image.
- Analyzes how a flemish artist called rogier van der weyden painted saint luke drawing the virgin and child.
- Explains that the original painting, seen at the mfa, boston, was done on a panel as an altarpiece for chapel of the painter’s guild in brussels.
- Analyzes how rogier van der weyden shows the growing renaissance mastery of modeling and perspective in saint luke drawing the virgin and child.
- Analyzes how the two paintings represent typical examples from 14th century italian artist, barna da siena, and 15th-century flemish artist rogier van der weyden.
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