Lorrenzo Lotto, The Virgin and Child with Saints Roch and Sebastian

924 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What role has religion played in art

Lorenzo Lotto, The Virgin and Child with Saints Roch and Sebastian is a depiction of the Virgin and Child accompanied by St. Sebastian to the right and St. Roch to the left. Both saints were invoked for protection against the plague: St. Roch, pointing to the plague sore on his thigh and identified by his pilgrim's staff, cloak, and hat, and St. Sebastian, with the arrow that recalls his suffering at the hands of Roman archers. This devotional painting was commissioned by a surgeon, for whom the subject would have had special significance in a period of devastating epidemics. The painting was made in 1521-1524, during the high renaissance. The subject matter of the painting, depiction of biblical and religious stories, keeps true to the style of the high renaissance. The size of the painting is small, 81.8 x 108.5 cm, as it was commissioned for private ownership. Simple on the surface, the painting emphasises traditional religious messages of salvation and healing that apply to the surgeon patron.
Lotto used a triangular composition while creating this painting. The virgin is the focal point, and both saints are angled toward her, leading the viewer’s eyes to the center. However, both their heads are angled away, their eyelids lowered and their torsos face one another. The stick carried by Saint Roch creates a direct line, stopping by the virgins head. The colours used in the painting are luminous, but still muted with a pastel like quality, except for the virgin, who wears a bright red robe, drawing the viewer’s attention to her. The virgin and child are placed some distance above both Saints, showing her dominance over them, and the worshippers below. The artist tries to show depth by placing St.Roch slightly behind the sla...

... middle of paper ...

...ting to look at. The brushstrokes are smooth and even. The colors are toned down, yet luminescent due to the expert use of oil paint. There is nothing threatening or commanding when looking at the figures, there is no eye contact and no strained expressions. Even though the painting explores a religious theme, there is no warning about the dangerous of sinning, and the plague as a punishment. It is more hopeful than threatening, telling the viewer if these saints can survive the plague, so can you. There are almost no sharp edges in the painting, everything is soft and rounded. Even the tip of the arrow in Saint Sebastian’s chest is dull and blunt. There is no detailing in the background, the only thing that occupies that space in a backboard draped with a green cloth. The same green cloth draped on the slab, leading the viewer’s eyes back to the foreground.

Show More
Related

  • Rogier Van Der Weyden's Deposition Essay

    559 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the top of the artwork the upper part of the cross extends beyond the altarpiece. The edge of John the Evangelist’s red robe on the left of the altarpiece and the edge of Mary Magdalene’s pale blue skirt on the right are cut off when the panel ends, giving the viewer the feeling that, rather than looking in on the scene, the viewer is actually taking part in the scene. This, added to the empathy invoked through the delicate, heart-wrenching rendering of the figures in the artwork, let the observer directly interact with the painting and places him/her within the narrative.

    Read More

  • Middle Ages vs Renaissance

    2265 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...done. Giotto used tempera to paint this one. There are senses of desperation of the apostles, but it is not as compelling or moving as Leonardo’s. Giotto has bright colors, especially considering the era it was painted in. However, he doesn’t use landscape, there is no symmetry. When you look at it, you can tell who Christ is due to the golden halo around his head. However to decipher which one of the apostles is Judas, would be in vain. He used no symbolism, there is no depth. The background is done in a golden hue, not a natural life like version. The faces of the apostles do show a questioning gaze, but the diverse emotions are not there. Everyone is also sitting straight up around a table, there is no movement. I would have to say that while for its era this was a great painting, it is not a memorable one for me. Leonardo’s version is so much more.

    Read More

  • Comparison of Annunciation and The Raising of Lazarus

    806 Words  | 2 Pages

    I found The Raising of Lazarus and Annunciation to be interesting pieces on their own as well as to be compared. At face value, these paintings do not appear to contain many contrasting features. However, by examining these paintings closely, one can conclude that paintings with similar themes, mediums, and time periods can still differ in countless ways. Light, medium, subject, color, space, and viewpoint are just a few of the characteristics that can be considered when analyzing Wtewael and Caliari’s works. It is imperative that observers of art take a deeper look into the different features of artwork in attempt to uncover the intentions of the artist.

    Read More

  • View Of Molo Analysis

    701 Words  | 2 Pages

    When looking at the painting it gives us a glimpse of the past. It looks almost like a photograph. The fine detail from the building on the right with the statue on top. The citizens walking around.

    Read More

  • Bernard Van Orley's Virgin With Child And Angels

    1096 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bernard Van Orley painted the Virgin with Child and Angels (ca. 1518) near the beginning of his career. This piece brings elements from the High Renaissance as well as early Renaissance and hints of the Gothic era. Orley’s use of oil on wood in this piece has allowed him to paint intricate details on the structures in the building and the drapery in the fabrics, and the triangular composition in the foreground gives it a nice focal point. The first thing that captures the eye in the hierarchy of scale is the Virgin Mary, holding a nude baby Jesus. The lack of a golden halo on both figures is notable, bringing the world into a realistic perspective. Mary face and body encloses Christ with an expression of endearment, creating a circle that connects

    Read More

  • Jean Hey’s Annunciation

    2188 Words  | 5 Pages

    By most accounts, the year 1500 was in the midst of the height of the Italian Renaissance. In that year, Flemmish artist Jean Hey, known as the “Master of Moulins,” painted “The Annunciation” to adorn a section of an alter piece for his royal French patrons. The painting tells the story of the angel Gabriel’s visit to the Virgin Mary to deliver the news that she will give birth to the son of God. As the story goes, Mary, an unwed woman, was initially terrified about the prospects of pregnancy, but eventually accepts her fate as God’s servant. “The Annunciation” is an oil painting on a modest canvas, three feet tall and half as wide. The setting of the painting is a study, Mary sitting at a desk in the bottom right hand corner reading, and the angel Gabriel behind her holding a golden scepter, perhaps floating and slightly off the canvas’s center to the left. Both figures are making distinct hand gestures, and a single white dove, in a glowing sphere of gold, floats directly above Mary’s head. The rest of the study is artistic but uncluttered: a tiled floor, a bed with red sheets, and Italian-style architecture. “The Annunciation” was painted at a momentous time, at what is now considered the end of the Early Renaissance (the majority of the 15th Century) and the beginning of the High Renaissance (roughly, 1495 – 1520). Because of its appropriate placement in the Renaissance’s timeline and its distinctly High Renaissance characteristics, Jean Hey’s “Annunciation” represents the culmination of the transition from the trial-and-error process of the Early Renaissance, to the technical perfection that embodied the High Renaissance. Specifically, “Annunciation” demonstrates technical advancements in the portrayal of the huma...

    Read More

  • Major Changes: Humanism and The Renaissance

    939 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...tism. The dove which has been tactfully placed above the Christ’s head, symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The other characters are angels who believed to be witnessing the baptism. The nakedness of the Christ on the other hand symbolizes humility. The general landscape in this picture displays an extraordinary naturalism. The Francesca’s work also marked the era of excessive antiquarian style of sculpturing and tactful use of oil in painting (Prescott, 2005).

    Read More

  • Virgin And Child Enthroned Analysis

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bartolomeo also establishes the foreground with a vertical tapestry and shows the Virgin adoring her child in contemplation; however, the tapestry lacks the pomegranate and ornate decoration of the original work and the admired child has been removed from his mother’s lap and placed on a stone ledge. And although the Virgin Mary remains the pyramidal anchor of the work, Bartolomeo only paints the upper half of the body and diminishes the structural effect. These differences both highlight the relationship between the Virgin and her child Bartolomeo portrays and the unique characteristics of The Virgin and Child Enthroned by the Master of the Embroidered Foliage. For by expanding the context in which the Virgin represents the structural pyramid of a work, the Master’s emphasis on structural foundation and connection between earth and heaven becomes increasingly clear. In other words, only by examining an outside work does the Virgin’s naturalistic cloak connecting the fertile garden with the heavenly tapestry dominate the viewing experience. In addition, the lack of urbanization in the background of The Virgin Adoring the Child emphasizes the timelessness of the original work. For with the exception of an abandoned

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Madonna And Child With Two Angels

    864 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • “The Martyrdom of St. Matthew” - Painting Analysis

    967 Words  | 2 Pages

    I chose “The Martyrdom of St. Matthew” as the painting that best illustrates the baroque period. The reasons surrounding my decision are clear in Caravaggio’s painting. Here Caravaggio uses the entire canvas to illustrate complexity, flow, and chiaroscuro. The painting depicts the source of lighting to be coming from the left side of the plane. The brightest light focuses directly on Matthew’s executioner who intends to strike Matthew with an old balcanic hand weapon. Caravaggio masterfully illustrates the use of lighting by casting believable shadows. As an example, the shadow of the handle on balcanic hand weapon reflects on the executioner’s left thigh and knee. Another shadow appears on the executioner’s right inner thigh. The lighting source to the left of the executioner, the executioner, St. Matthews, the boy, the 2 observer’s bottom, right, and the fainter lighting upper left of the canvas illustrates the technique of visual movement. The lighting is placed strategically, causing visual movement within the piece. For example, the illumination of the executioner’s forearm directs my attention to the angel who appears to be handing St. Matthew a palm leaf. As a result, my eyes then focuses on the body of St. Matthew, lying on the bottom of the altar, then my eyes shifts up toward the Angle’s arm. The lighting on the angel's arm contrasted with the darkness of the palm leaf forces the viewer to look at the hand to see what St. Matthew is reaching for. The boy fleeing the scene further draws in the viewer. The two adult observers at the bottom right of the painting are illuminated but not as bright as the two main characters. Next, my attention is drawn to the man lying on the bottom steps, left side of the canv...

    Read More

  • Wayside Madonna

    948 Words  | 2 Pages

    The painting is organized simply. The background of the painting is painted in an Impressionist style. The blurring of edges, however, starkly contrasts with the sharp and hard contours of the figure in the foreground. The female figure is very sharp and clear compared to the background. The background paint is thick compared to the thin lines used to paint the figures in the foreground. The thick paint adds to the reduction of detail for the background. The colors used to paint the foreground figures are vibrant, as opposed to the whitened colors of the Impressionist background. The painting is mostly comprised of cool colors but there is a range of dark and light colors. The light colors are predominantly in the background and the darker colors are in the foreground. The vivid color of the robe contrasts with the muted colors of the background, resulting in an emphasis of the robe color. This emphasis leads the viewer's gaze to the focal part of the painting: the figures in the foreground. The female and baby in the foreground take up most of the canvas. The background was not painted as the artist saw it, but rather the impression t...

    Read More

  • Conditions of Trade, by Michael Baxandall

    1048 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... the way that the artwork is resembled in the religious background of the gospel but reconstructed in to a celebrating impression. Throughout the fresco painting it depicts the myth of the Christ’s three fold temptations relating back to the article that “distinction between fresco and panel painting is sharp, and that painters are seen as competitors amongst themselves discriminating also, between the difference in genuine attempts in being better then the other.” Baxandall, “Conditions of Trade,” 26. in relation, the painting concerns the painter’s conscious response to picture trade, and the non-isolation in pictorial interests.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Madonna And Child Enthroned

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Comparison Of Perugino And Caravaggio

    1317 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Black Death Essay

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...to get infected whether hiding or not so they lived in happiness by completing everyday task. The art during this time came out with tombstones and death incorporated images rather gothic looking. From the late 14th to late 16th century, people’s artistic expressions were random, adjusted by ethnological growth, armed creations, and had different ways to go about belief in religion. (Johnson, 2003). When Europe transfigured into the ways of Constantine, Europe strayed back to christianity leaving a different impression on art for more than a thousand plus years. Artist of the medieval time strived to make every piece of art mirror the everyday scenery of the plague. Paintings and sculptures, during this time, represented life, death, bible configurations and important people which also filled the domes of churches and church entries

    Read More

More about Lorrenzo Lotto, The Virgin and Child with Saints Roch and Sebastian

Open Document