Fra Angelico was a famous fresco painter during the 1400’s. He is famous for his many paintings in the San Marco, his repetitive use of holy subjects, and who he was as a person. Although not much is known about his life, he did make an impact on the Renaissance period with his style. Born as Guido de Piero, Angelico entered the Dominican order and was already known as a Late Gothic painter (Brommer). This artist is well known for his calm, religious paintings which lead to his name meaning angelic and blessed (Online).
Angelico’s early life consisted of him being trained by Lorenzo Monaco to be an illuminator and a miniaturist (Fra). Monaco’s strong influences can be seen in Fra Angelico’s works ( Record also shows that he was already a painter
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This convent allowed Angelico to be put into “the center of artistic activity in the region” (Fra). Within the San marco, this artist painted many frescoes, including a few of his most famous pieces, The San Marco Altarpiece and the Annunciation. Fra Angelico also became a prior high ranking administrator of the Monastery (Brommer).
Giorgio Vasari, an Italian painter, said that Angelico was “a man of great simplicity, and most holy in his ways.” (Library). Angelico was skilled in painting holy figures, mainly Mary and the Christ-child. He was said to be “one of the most sensitive interpreters of religious themes” (Zuffi). Angelico seemed to understand how holy figures were meant to be
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Fra Angelico is also skilled in developing monumental figures, creating movement, and showing space through the use of linear perspective (Online). Many of Angelico’s paintings show the Virgin Mary and baby Christ. With these two being the subject, it made sense that Angelico was called an “angelic painter” (Finocchio). It also has been said that Angelico “he never handled a brush without fervent prayer” (Fra).
One of Angelico’s famous paintings is The San Marco altarpiece. This painting shows his strong use of perspective and depth within the space, and also shows that he mastered the use of optical illusion, showing that the crucifix stands separate from the rest of the painting (Finnan). This painting is also unusual in the sense that the setting is not as holy. The angels are shown as people, and the saints seem like they are able to talk about seeing the Virgin in person (Fra.)
Another one of Angelico’s well known paintings is The Cortona Altarpiece. also known as The Annunciation. This painting is an early renaissance painting and it represents when Mary is told that she will give birth to Christ. It has been said that this is one of Angelico’s greatest
The Holy Trinity by Masaccio was a painting done in approximately 1428. It is a
Annunciation (Paolo Caliari) and The Raising of Lazarus (Joachim Wtewael) are oil on canvas paintings located in the Blanton Museum of Art. Annunciation is set on a balcony during sunset; the archangel Gabriel appears to be ascending from heaven and a woman seems to be falling in awe of the sight. The Raising of Lazarus depicts about fourteen people in a scene where everyone is looking at a different person, but no eye contact is taking place. The people are in the foreground, and a city can be seen in the background. Although these works of art were created during a similar time period and share a few similarities, these paintings also contrast in a number of ways when viewed closely.
As this painting was created in the High Renaissance, the composition shows the transition from spiritual to humanist. During this period, artists began to experiment with attempts to pay attention to realism and naturalistic features while still maintaining the appearances of spiritual figures. In the painting, Baptism of Christ, Verrocchio and Leonardo da Vinci worked on two angels seen on the left of the piece. Verrocchio was a renown early Renaissance artist, paying extreme details to humanism to a point where the line between real and spiritual was obsolete. In this painting, it is no different; the angel painted by Verrocchio appears as a small boy with a halo above his head. However, Leonardo’s contribution portrays an angel that is still divine, yet still having elements of realism. This concept of “realistic, yet spiritual” was a main idea that embodies the High Renaissance, and can be seen in Orley’s piece as well. Although there is a lack of attention to proper anatomy, the conception of “realistic, yet spiritual” is shown through the scenery in the background, where the landscape is depicted as a castle on the hilltop looming over a foggy forest. This imagery could be seen in reality, but the hazy feeling gives off a more spiritual world that is unearthly, but still on Earth. Landscaping also became a prominent theme that grew in
The Renaissance in Western Europe brought a “rebirth” to the arts. No longer was the church the only accredited patron for the arts. Instead, a wealthy middle class arose as patrons and were able to purchase artist’s works. Although many pieces still had religious themes, the styles, freedom of creativity, and less reserved pieces were created. The Renaissance was not only confined to Italy, although it is often mistaken as the birthplace of the movement. All over Western Europe artwork flourished. Artists from the north came to Italy to study the classical arts and the renowned Italian Renaissance artists. Many of the same themes and subject matters were depicted throughout Western Europe. One such subject matter, the Annunciation, was portrayed by Jan van Eyck, a Flemish panel painter, as well as, Fra Angelico, an Italian fresco painter. In short, the Annunciation occurred when God sends the angel, Gabriel to deliver the message to Mary that she will give birth to his only son. Although both artists had the same understanding of the biblical account, their styles varied to agree with the concerns and interests of the people of the time as well as where they lived. They were able to establish their individuality through their artwork, even with the same subject matter. The Annunciation by Jan van Eyck is a perfect reflection of Northern Renaissance panel painting while Annunciation by Fra Angelico is the essence of Italian Renaissance fresco painting.
“The Met’s very own Mona Lisa” (Tomkins 9). That is what Duccio di Buoninsegna’s Madonna and Child painting is known as today. “The Metropolitan Museum of Art bought the Madonna and Child for forty-five to fifty million dollars” (Tomkins 1). However, the painting was not always in public hands; in fact, the Met purchased the last known work of Duccio in private hands. Originally, the painting was held in the private hands of Adolphe Stoclet and his wife. When the couple died, their house and their collection went to their son, Jacques who held onto the painting, and passed it down to his daughters who lent it to an exhibition in Siena of Duccio and his school. The painting was eventually withdrawn from the exhibition and sold (Tomkins 2). Madonna and Child painting dated 1300 and was painted by Duccio di Buoninsegna a Sienese painter, who is considered the founder of modern Italian painting. I chose to research this painting because the subject matter of religious imagery and symbols interests me. Also because when I looked at the painting the emotion on the Madonna’s face almost jumped out at me. It is as if, she is looking at her newborn child with this deep sadness, which almost makes you think that the painting is foreshadowing the death of Jesus Christ. In addition, the burns of the side of the frame peaked my interest, as to why they were there. Art critics were also interested in this work they even consider Madonna and Child one of Duccio’s perfect works, and it said to be worth all the other paintings exhibited under the name of Duccio (Christiansen 14). The Madonna and Child painting’s iconography, imagery, emotional appeal to the viewers, and meaning all make this painting still a great work of art today.
Titian had many accomplishments in his lifetime. In 1518, Titian’s Assumption of the Virgin was shown at the Church of the Frari in Venice. It was in this composition that Titian seemed suddenly to absorb the achievements of the Roman High Renaissance style. At the time, it was learned that Titan had not traveled much, and therefore assumed that he squired this knowledge of art by visiting artists, studying their drawings and reproductive engravings. During the decades following his appearance in the art life, Titian’s reproductions placed him along with Michelangelo, as the most powerful artist in Europe. He was recognized for his mythical paintings, three of which he created for Alfonso I d’Este of Ferrara, called The Bacchanal of the Andrians, The Worship of Venus, and Baahus and Ariadne. Among his many patrons, the most important were the Spanish Habsburgs. Titian’s fame, wealth, and social position resulted from his patrons and admirers. His major artistic inhibitions included being especially creative with diagonal placing and perspectives, as well as setting up unusual spectator viewpoints. Among his most famous works, rests the picture known as The Gypsy Madonna. This picture ...
Piero della Francesca presented an iconic image of the Renaissance in Italy in his own way, highlighting the two most important idols of the Catholic church, Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. Through oil paint, he connected sacred biblical meanings into his own masterpiece. He devoted Christ to portray him in a scene of blessing with his surroundings and other holy figures. The Madonna and Child with Two Angels (Senigallia Madonna), is a piece created with such emphasized meaning and such divinity of the holy, Jesus Christ and his mother the Virgin Mary.
One of the most famous paintings depicts his vision of John the Baptist, the mother Mary, and the child Jesus. It was painted by Parmigianino and named “The vision of Jerome.” His vision was a major event in Jerome’s life and in church history. Parmigianino, whose real name is
Masaccio used a technique called linear perspective. This technique allowed Italian artists to measure space so that all the objects in the painting are in proportion to each other. In this painting, Jesus is put intimately close to the scene by using linear perspective. An illusionistic hole is painted into the painted wall and this makes his portrayal more believable. Masaccio also used the technique of tonal modeling which created believable, almost sculptural figures proportionally related to one another to occupy that space. Both of these techniques helps to create good proportions and make the painting more realistic. Another technique that he uses is stage modeling. This means that the holy trinity is meant to be viewed from below and at a distance, like actors on a stage before an audience. In particular, this approach is based on a more human- centered view, locating a single spectator that is standing at a particular spot. In this painting, Jesus is the focus of the painting. In contrast, the Annunciation panel (from the Merode Triptych), which was painted by Robert Campin uses other techniques that greatly change the way the painting is
The two wonderful, yet drastically contrasted paintings of Saint Sebastian and Saint Francis of Assisi tell the story of these saints, as seen by their artists, using each their own set of skills and representing a separate set of ideas. To begin, the artist of Saint Sebastian, Andrea Mantegna (c. 1431 - September 13, 1506), was proficient in linear and atmospheric perspective. Though not always mathematically correct, his paintings had a level of depth that would have made them quite astonishing for their time (and still to this day). He started his painting career as the apprentice of Francesco Squarcione in Padua (Northern Italy). There, he studied ancient Greek and Roman art and ruins, which would greatly influence his later works.
In Giotto’s Madonna and Child Enthroned I see an older renaissance painting of a woman and her child. The child is sitting on the lap of his mother who is sitting on a large burgundy throne in the middle of the painting. The woman is dressed in a navy cloak while her child is clothed in a pink robe. Above the child’s head there is a yellow circle. This circle is a renaissance symbol for religious leadership or importance. Surrounding this throne are a gathering of angels. There are exactly seven angels on each side worshiping this mother and child. The background consists of a yellow brick pattern.
The artists of the Baroque had a remarkably different style than artists of the Renaissance due to their different approach to form, space, and composition. This extreme differentiation in style resulted in a very different treatment of narrative. Perhaps this drastic stylistic difference between the Renaissance and Baroque in their treatment of form, space, and composition and how these characteristics effect the narrative of a painting cannot be seen more than in comparing Perugino’s Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St. Peter from the Early Renaissance to Caravaggio’s Conversion of St. Paul from the Baroque.Perugino was one of the greatest masters of the Early Renaissance whose style ischaracterized by the Renaissance ideals of purity, simplicity, and exceptional symmetry of composition. His approach to form in Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St.Peter was very linear. He outlined all the figures with a black line giving them a sense of stability, permanence, and power in their environment, but restricting the figures’ sense of movement. In fact, the figures seem to not move at all, but rather are merely locked at a specific moment in time by their rigid outline. Perugino’s approach to the figures’themselves is extremely humanistic and classical. He shines light on the figures in a clear, even way, keeping with the rational and uncluttered meaning of the work. His figures are all locked in a contrapposto pose engaging in intellectual conversation with their neighbor, giving a strong sense of classical rationality. The figures are repeated over and over such as this to convey a rational response and to show the viewer clarity. Perugino’s approach to space was also very rational and simple. He organizes space along three simple planes: foreground, middle ground, and background. Christ and Saint Peter occupy the center foreground and solemn choruses of saints and citizens occupy the rest of the foreground. The middle distance is filled with miscellaneous figures, which complement the front group, emphasizing its density and order, by their scattered arrangement. Buildings from the Renaissance and triumphal arches from Roman antiquity occupy the background, reinforcing the overall classical message to the
Jacopo del Sellaio’s Virgin, Child, and St. John is a characteristically iconographic tempera panel painting of Madonna, the Christ Child, and the infant St. John from the early renaissance, dating to the early 1480s. Sellaio was a Florentine painter under the apprenticeship of Sandro Botticelli, which reflects through his style and symbolism in the painting. In this work, he depicts a classically devotional scene filled with biblical symbolism. Sellaio’s Virgin, Child, and St. John expresses Mary’s loving role as Christ’s mother, the protective power and warmth of her maternal bond, and the significance of the birth of Christ.
The ability to create a picture of The Annunciation in one’s mind is a key factor in understanding the analysis of the work. Francisco de Zurbaran approaches the painting with a naturalistic style. The painting features a room in which a woman – like angel is seen at the left kneeling on the ground before the Virgin Mary. The figure of Mary is placed between a chair and a small wooden table draped with a green cloth. Mary disregards an open Bible on the table, as she appears solemn while staring at the floor. Floating above the two main figures in the upper left side of the painting are cherubs resting on a bed of clouds. They happily gaze down at Mary with eyes from Heaven.
During the Renaissance, the Virgin Mary was prevalent theme throughout this period where artists such as: Fra Angelico, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Bothicellical and Perugino were inspired to paint the Virgin Mary. The paintings show a motherly pleasant looking women holding or caring for her child. The paints are capturing the Mary as a human but giving her a divine appearance. The child being Christ shows her power by giving birth to him and by caring for the Son of God. In essence providing love, caring, and protection for the young child of God. For example, plate 15 and frame 23, these plates show a compassionate caring mother that is humanistic in depiction but larger or more encompassing of the painting than the Christ child. This is implying her importance in the early life of Christ. This also shows the power or her earthly influence over the child even though she is a human and not a deity. This gives her a special place in the church as the earthly Mother that is the most perfect of humans, other than Christ.