Comparing Botticelli's Pallas And The Centaur

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In Botticelli’s Pallas and the Centaur there is also a clear representation of one character in control over the other. Pallas figure seems to be holding the centaur’s hair in her grasp with a stern look towards the him. The centaur in relation to Pallas looks sorry for a pervious action he has done. His right arm looks to be flinching from Pallas as well. The poses of the centaur is distorted only from the unnatural twist in his neck. His body is facing away from Pallas yet his entire face is turned to her while being angled down. This irregular stance and turn of the centaur’s head shows styles of mannerism as well. Pallas pose is not as much set with a mannerist style however, her character has a great display of clothes and drapery emphasizing …show more content…

Her body looks to be pulled in two different directions as she is trying to gain control or understand the situation she placed in. “Raphael depicted her amongst a throng of sea creatures as she speeds away from her admirer on a fantastical shell drawn by dolphins.” (Villa Farnesina, 1). She stands on an open clam shell being pulled by dolphins as she looks in the opposite direction at putti ready to shoot her with arrow and maybe later at the figures being in their own intense situations. Each lower figures in the water has a type moment that looks as if one is pulling or forcing a character as another is pushing away from the one pulling. This also shows there is control-taking place with these figures. The only complete control seen in this painting is with the four putti in the sky ready to fire arrows at Galatea. This overall painting has a lot going on and with its added drama with a settle style it shows a mannerism effect as well. From the top down there is a shift in control. The higher the figure the more control and the lower the viewer moves their eye down the less each figure has control of the situation taking place. The drapery is settle in this painting maybe due to most if the figures being in water, however Galatea has quite a bit and her pose seems to cover the main parts of the body that would be known for

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