Summary
The Lamentation Arena chapel and Ognissanti Madonna are Giotto’s most outstanding masterpieces of all time. These works of arts portrays his style that is celebrated worldwide, especially among Christians. This style is expressed through use of elements such as line, colour and texture.
A formal analysis of these works of art gives an understanding of the role each of these elements plays in delivering Giotto’s intended theme. A formal analysis of an art entails an examination of its element and the principle of design. The elements are the building block that an artist uses to create a piece of art. These include aspects such as line, space, shape and form, texture and colour.
Giotto uses several elements such as colour, texture and line to convey a sombre mood to the viewers of Lamentation Arena Chapel. For instance, he uses green landscapes, blue skies, brown foliage and thunderous like clouds to portray what the characters feel. Such a mood cannot be achieved using silver outlines and regular gold skies.
Giotto also uses the same elements in Ognissanti Madonna. For instance, he uses a traditional golden background, seen in the angel’s halos and the lines along the thrones. This golden aspect makes the work of art to sparkle in royal, holy light. Besides, there are warm red and green colours that play a huge role in lightening and humanizing the otherwise ethereal and weighty work of art.
A formal analysis of these works of art reveals style that is consistent throughout his pieces of arts. For instance, his arts use figures that have real life. For instance, these figures had natural faces and experienced real emotions. Besides, he has given the characters real space to move about and given them real life poses. H...
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...picts flesh and facial expressions such as joy, awe and respect. Furthermore, the texture of the clothes reveals Giotto’s attention to detail. This is evident in the thick lush robes that fall between Madonna’s legs in a realistic manner. Besides, there is a loose folding that seems fill the real space.
Conclusion on Giotto’s Style
A striking aspect concerning the formal analysis of Lamentation arena and Ognissanti Madonna is Giotto’s use of figures that have real life. For instance, they had natural faces and experienced real emotions. Besides, he has given the characters real space to move about and given them real life poses. His use of colours also sets him apart from his contemporaries. This colour makes the characters full of life. He makes sure each person in the picture is there for a reason and each gesture is significant (Derbes, Sandona & Giotto, 2004).
...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.
For the Formal Analysis Essay, the following artist and work of art to discuss is: Artemisia Gentileschi (Italian 1593-1653), Judith and Maidservant with the Head of the Holofernes, c. 1625, oil on canvas, approx. height: 72 1/2 x 55 3/4 inches. Detroit Institute of Arts. The following will mention the subject of the artwork, elements of design including: line, shape, and color. In addition, the principles of design will be discussed in termed of movement, emphasis, and balance.
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...
In conclusion, through the exploration with Malraux’s lens, as one of the painting themes made in Northern Renaissance, Italian in specific, around fifteenth century, The Lamentation with Saints and a Donor portrays a common subject of art caused by Christian influence, which narrates popular biblical stories, and made intentionally as either a story of the Christ or the patron him/herself through his/her fictionalized depiction with the Christ, while, contrasting to Malraux’s excerpt, the aesthetic values are equal as one of the aims in art with the realistic development throughout
Cimabue’s Madonna Enthrone was created of gold to represent holiness and spirituality. The panel was painted in gold leaf, which made it a very famous piece of artwork. In this painting Cimabue attempted to
The title of the piece, Madonna of the Clouds, implies setting; however, Mary’s robes blend in with the surrounding cherubs, creating a mass of folds. Donatello shows perspective through subtle changes in the depths of carving – stiacciato relief – a technique that he devised (Britannica). This varying strength of line utilizes shadows to enhance emotion, as seen with the Virgin Mary. The concern that she shows for her son in her arm foreshadows his fateful end. This expression though, is not only demonstrated within the facial features of her profile, but also in the ever-present shadow under her chin, directly above Christ’s head. Stiacciato relief depends on the reflection off of pale materials, like marble, in order to manipulate light to enhance or detract from the forms themselves (Britannica). Donatello controls his medium to work with his audience’s position, casting shadows to be where they are most meaningful. Awareness of his viewers’ angle ceased to allude Donatello as his earlier marble masterpieces, the sculptures at the Or San Michele, employed their alleviated situations to accentuate his subject’s personalities as seen with Saint
Here Christ’s front and center position still establishes his emphasis. Additionally, the perspective angels of each building behind him and the cross he holds lend a hand in centering the viewer’s eye toward Christ’s face. These compositional principles were common in renaissance paintings, and in fact the only way Grünewald’s work followed classicism ideals. Within the measured composition, we see content similar to that of Temptation of St. Anthony, where in Grünewald packs numerous subjects
For example, Masaccio used the medium fresco. It dries quickly and requires the artist to work fast with color broadly applied. This medium enables Masaccio to create generalized forms over the precise details of oil and tempura painting. However, Campin used the oil medium. This gave him the ability to create jewel-like illusions of reality. Campin and others of this era were motivated to paint the external world and all the different facets that create it. On the other hand, Masaccio wanted to create a painting that is more realistic and wanted the people to be able to relate to the art. Also, both artists use light and shadow to highlight and emphasize different parts of the paintings. For instance, Campin lit the room with sunlight and put a focus on Mary’s dress. This lighting causes the dress to turn into a shape of a star. This can symbolize the presence of the star of Bethlehem. Many other religious symbols are found in the painting. The eyes are not drawn to a particular object. This is not the case in Masaccio’s painting. He does not particularly shine light on one object. Even though the eyes are drawn to Jesus, we get a sense of balance between all the objects. This portrays faith and it’s mysteries as well as the perfection symbolism that comes with God. Masaccio creates a three dimensional like form even though it is on a two-dimensional surface. The painting shows
At first glance, both Cimabue’s Enthroned Madonna and Child and Giotto’s Ognissanti Madonna look nearly identical. Both paintings center around Madonna holding Christ as she sits on an elaborate throne. In both paintings, baby Christ is seated in the same position on her left knee blessing with his right hand while holding a scroll in his left hand (Adams). Both Cimabue and Giotto’s paintings have angels symmetrically arranged on both sides of Madonna and Christ. All of the individuals within both paintings are wearing halos. When I studied these two paintings in more depth, I noticed that the paintings differed in several small ways. First of all, besides all the gold in both paintings, the main colors in the Cimabue painting are red, purple,
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
In the panel Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple by Giotto the scene shows Mary at three years old with her parents, Anna and Jaochim, at the temple to be consecrated to God. This painting can be found in the Arena Chapel in the horizontal series of panels devoted to the Life of Virgin Mary, and is placed on top of the Baptism of Christ and the Crucifixion of Christ. The panel shows Mary in the center, on the steps of the temple in a bright white robe with a crowd of people facing her. Anna, Jaochim, and Mary all have golden halos around their head to symbolize their holiness, a common motif in works of the time. The priest’s hand reaches out to Mary and Mary’s mother Anna, seems to be in unity with the priest because they are wearing
Color is used to draw attention to important characters and objects in the painting. The red of Mary’s shirt emphasizes her place as the main figure. A bright, yellow cloud floating above the room symbolizes the joy of the angelic figures. De Zurbaran uses warm colors in the foreground. The room, used as the background for the scene, is painted in dark colors utilizing different hues of gray and brown.
The fundamental philosophical problem which rose out of human interest in beauty of creation and appreciation was a problem of aesthetics, which is not a recent invention of human assumption .Aesthetic examines the indefinable realm of imagination and feeling, made none the stronger by the light thrown upon it, by those who live in the world of feeling and articulates through vision and imagination of the artists who deals with the problems of integrities with those of moral deed. The art work by artists are created out of the urge of their creativity and imagination , which cannot be analyzed what they exactly created .An artist can hardly create the actual steps of his creation and deal
To me, this painting shows a contrast of perfection and imperfection. It’s a naturalistic portrait, depicting a deep sense of emotion. The realism in the old man’s face grabs our concern in attempt to understand what is going on in the painting. I feel that the realism in the Old Man’s face conveys the deep emotions he feels towards the child. There is a great contrast between him and the child. The child seems to be represented as an almost angelic figure, a more idealized Renaissance creation. While the old man has a worn face, suggesting a long life. The man is wearing a reddish robe which suggests that he may be some sort of a noble figure. Ghirlandaio’s placement of the old man and the child horizontally definitely brought aid to giving an exaggerated existence of an emotional moment between the two. I also considered taking the child’s perspective, looking up at the old man’s bulbous nose, wrinkled face and large ears.
...ith the landscape that is blanketed in shadow and the darkness of the background. Past the main figure and onto the two figures walking, light is present indicating the sanity area of this painting. Through the use of shadows and hues of color, the essence of the figure’s emotions is shown.