We have examined two Italian altarpieces in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence in the last two blogs:
Giotto's Madonna Enthroned (1310),(also known as the Madonna in MAESTA) originally from Ognissanti in Florence and
Domenico Veneziano's Madonna Enthroned with Saints (1445), (sometimes known as the St. Lucy Altarpiece), originally from Santa Lucia dei Magnoli, Florence
They are good representatives of two different periods of art history, Gothic and Renaissance,
and help us understand why art historians divide up art into various periods.
SUMMARY of GOTHIC CHARACTERISTICS: (Italian Gothic art - 12th-14th centuries)
- POINTED, GOTHIC ARCHES IN ARCHITECTURE AND FRAME
- GOLD LEAF BACKGROUND for HEAVEN and HEAVENLY LIGHT
- HOLY FIGURES ARE LARGER than the others because MORE IMPORTANT
- HOLY FIGURES ARE RAISED UP higher than the others
- VERTICAL PERSPECTIVE - people further behind are higher up
- EMPHASIS is on the SACRED being removed from human life
- MADONNA IS QUEEN OF HEAVEN, SYMBOLS OF ROYALTY in crown and incense
- LITTLE INTEREST IN ANATOMY OR DRAPERY revealing the body underneath
- EMPHASIS ON SYMMETRY
- beginning INTEREST IN SPACE AND DEPTH
SUMMARY OF RENAISSANCE CHARACTERISTICS (Italian Renaissance art -15th-16th centuries):
- ROUND, RENAISSANCE ARCHES IN ARCHITECTURE AND FRAME
- NATURAL LIGHT is used and EARTHLY LANDSCAPE
- HOLY FIGURES are same size as others, SHARE SAME SPACE with others; BEGINNING OF SACRA CONVERSAZIONE
- 1-POINT PERSPECTIVE (all diagonals meet at one point); figures behind are seen in depth, not vertically.
- EMPHASIS IS ON THE HUMAN SIDE of the SACRED
- MADONNA AND CHILD are human woman and son, not royalty
- INTEREST IN ACCURATE ANATOMY and in way drapery falls on the body
- SYMMETRY IS STILL EMPHASIZED
- DEVELOPED accurate DEPTH AND SPACE; MIRRORING OF NATURE IMPORTANT
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