Art History Paper #1
ARTH 1381
Writing Assignment #1 The purpose of this assignment is to compare and contrast Giuliano Bugiardini’s Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist, and the Master of Frankfurt’s Holy Kinship. Both are examples of Renaissance paintings, however, Bugiardini’s piece is an example of southern Renaissance, where the Master of Frankfurt’s is one of northern Renaissance. Buigiardini’s Madonna and the Child with St. John the Baptist depicts Mary with Christ and St. John. The three figures are arranged in a triangle formation, with Mary at the apex. This positioning was often used by artists such a Leonardo da Vinci and can be seen in his work The Virgin of the Rocks. This painting also displays chiaroscuro, as the ground is composed of dark colors; browns, blues and reds, but the figures and the sky are much lighter. The figures are shown with very pale skin, which makes them stand out from the darker ground and the sky is an extremely light blue color. This technique helps the artists convey spatial depth. The baby Jesus is shown wearing a delicate golden halo, and is simultaneously grabbing the book that Mary is reading and pointing at the young John the Baptist. I thought that this might be a symbol of the importance of John the Baptist’s work in the Bible. The Master of Frankfurt’s Holy Kinship shows a scene including Mary, the baby Jesus, and Mary’s mother St. Anne, and their family members. The three men standing behind Mary and St. Anne are Anne’s three different husbands, and many of their children are also shown in the painting. Mary is shown seated on a bench with Jesus standing in her lap. In this work, Christ is not shown wearing a halo. This artwork is very crowded and shows many different people. According to the placard at the museum, the nun that is painted in the right hand corner of the left panel may have commissioned this painting. This piece reflects the International Gothic style of painting, seen through the use of lavish
Writing Assignment #1 The purpose of this assignment is to compare and contrast Giuliano Bugiardini’s Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist, and the Master of Frankfurt’s Holy Kinship. Both are examples of Renaissance paintings, however, Bugiardini’s piece is an example of southern Renaissance, where the Master of Frankfurt’s is one of northern Renaissance. Buigiardini’s Madonna and the Child with St. John the Baptist depicts Mary with Christ and St. John. The three figures are arranged in a triangle formation, with Mary at the apex. This positioning was often used by artists such a Leonardo da Vinci and can be seen in his work The Virgin of the Rocks. This painting also displays chiaroscuro, as the ground is composed of dark colors; browns, blues and reds, but the figures and the sky are much lighter. The figures are shown with very pale skin, which makes them stand out from the darker ground and the sky is an extremely light blue color. This technique helps the artists convey spatial depth. The baby Jesus is shown wearing a delicate golden halo, and is simultaneously grabbing the book that Mary is reading and pointing at the young John the Baptist. I thought that this might be a symbol of the importance of John the Baptist’s work in the Bible. The Master of Frankfurt’s Holy Kinship shows a scene including Mary, the baby Jesus, and Mary’s mother St. Anne, and their family members. The three men standing behind Mary and St. Anne are Anne’s three different husbands, and many of their children are also shown in the painting. Mary is shown seated on a bench with Jesus standing in her lap. In this work, Christ is not shown wearing a halo. This artwork is very crowded and shows many different people. According to the placard at the museum, the nun that is painted in the right hand corner of the left panel may have commissioned this painting. This piece reflects the International Gothic style of painting, seen through the use of lavish