¶ … Religious Image as Depicted by Three Different Artists:
The Virgin Mary in Renaissance art
Portraits of the Virgin and Christ Child began to proliferate in Florence during the Italian Renaissance. There was "a new demand for devotional images on a domestic scale" (Botticelli, Virgin and Child with an Angel). While epic religious portraits remained in vogue in some quarters, in others a new vision came to the forefront that stressed the Holy Family as a family, not merely as divine beings. The sense of the human-divine connection being closer than was conceptualized in the Middle Ages was made manifest in art, particularly when showing Christ at his youngest and most vulnerable.
However, the development of the 'religious domestic' took time to fully unfold in the ideology of the era. For example, the early Renaissance artist Masaccio is well-known for his portraits of the Virgin Mary. However, his work is heavily stylized and while it makes use of common Renaissance symbolism to convey Mary's divine nature, the static nature of his depiction of Mary and Christ lacks the kinesthetic vividness of later Renaissance works. His Virgin and Child (1426) was constructed as the center of an altarpiece. In the work, "the grapes the Child eats refer to the blood shed on the cross and the wine of the Last Supper….the Virgin's dress was a translucent red over silver leaf" (Masaccio, Virgin and Child).
The Virgin holds and adores the Christ child and the large, golden baby dominates the work. This Early Renaissance piece lacks much of the classicism and humanism associated with Renaissance domesticity and has a highly representational, formulaic quality. Mary is virtually motionless and the Christ child and she have no meaningful interaction within the framework of the painting. There is none of the warm relationship one would expect between a real mother and child and Mary appears...
Raphael: Artist of the Renaissance Raphael was the son of Giovanni Santi, an educated man that was able to provide his young son with a remarkable life exposed to much art, many artistic geniuses, and the remarkable culture of the Umbrian court. Raphael was blessed during his childhood in terms of wealth and culture and would never have to know the life of a struggling artist nor the sense of begging
This may well have been intentional, because since the statue was moved from its original location, no one knows in what position it was before (Michelangelo pp). The artist might have intentionally deformed it if it was to be housed in a high place in order to balance human sight aberration, yet much of the Madonna's size is concealed in the drapery, thus, the figures look quite natural (Michelangelo
The two seem to be squaring off in generosity, each inviting the other to go before him to make obeisance. The postures and figures in the crowd range of arrogance to humility. A figure on the left appears to be frowning haughtily at the scene before him as though he could not possibly give up his dignity to bow before such a poor family. The fact that the setting is
Art During Renaissance The Evolution of Art During the Renaissance The Renaissance period is defined as a cultural movement that spanned approximately from the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe (Brotton 2006, p. 6). This period in the history of art included the painting, decorative arts and sculpture of the period and for many was considered a
Art History Of the Western World Raphael's Madonna of the Meadow is from the High Renaissance period, which lasted from the 14th Century to the 16th Century. The Italian term "Madonna" is a medieval term for a noble or important woman, but in Western art it has come to specifically refer to work that depicts the Virgin Mother Mary. Biblical subjects such as the Madonna were very important to Renaissance painters
Art Both Duccio di Buoninsegna and Fra Filippo Lippi paint the Christian Madonna and child scene. Lippi's "Madonna and Child Enthroned with Two Angels" is rendered on wood with tempera and gold leaf. It is rounded at the top, and was the center part of a triptych that was completed in about the year 1440.[footnoteRef:1] Also in tempera and gold leaf on wood is di Buoninsegna's "Madonna and Child." Candle damage
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now