"Madonna" and "Venus" from Two Different Periods
"Madonna" and "Venus" From Two Different Periods I have always been intrigued by the many depictions of "Madonna" and "Venus" therefore I chose to compare and contrast Parmigianino’s “Madonna of the Long Neck” from the mannerist style of the later Renaissance and Titian's “Venus of Urbino” from Venetian Renaissance. First I will tell you a little bit about the historical background of both paintings, then I will prove my thesis by talking about exemplifies two artist's style and the movement it represents, and considering the differences between two artwork in artistic styles, subject matter, and formal approaches.
First, “Madonna of the Long Neck” was created at the Mannerist period in 1535 by Parmigianino sized 7' x 4'. It was created using oil painting, which was a very popular medium since High Renaissance. The subject of the piece comes from Christian story - Madonna holding a sleeping Christ. The iconography of the painting - Madonna - lies in the history of its famous characters which is very common of the High Renaissance and Mannerism. This painting was begun to be placed in the church of the Servites in Parma. However, “Madonna with the Long Neck” remained unfinished due to the artist’s early death in 1540 even though it was still considered as one of his greatest works.
Second, “Venus of Urbino” was created at the Venetian Renaissance period in 1538 by Titian sized 47” x 65”. It was using the oil on canvas that was a new technique established by Giorgione. The painting was commissioned by Guidobaldo della Rovere, who was the Duke of Urbino. The pose of the subject was influenced by Giorgione's “Sleeping Venus.” The theme was reviving a tradition of the female nude that can be traced back to ancient Greek art. Also, this painting has a lot of hidden meaning with title. The main iconography of this painting - Venus - is an idealized nude woman lying on a bed, who identified as the Roman goddess of love. Titian‘s “Venus of Urbino” is a
First, “Madonna of the Long Neck” was created at the Mannerist period in 1535 by Parmigianino sized 7' x 4'. It was created using oil painting, which was a very popular medium since High Renaissance. The subject of the piece comes from Christian story - Madonna holding a sleeping Christ. The iconography of the painting - Madonna - lies in the history of its famous characters which is very common of the High Renaissance and Mannerism. This painting was begun to be placed in the church of the Servites in Parma. However, “Madonna with the Long Neck” remained unfinished due to the artist’s early death in 1540 even though it was still considered as one of his greatest works.
Second, “Venus of Urbino” was created at the Venetian Renaissance period in 1538 by Titian sized 47” x 65”. It was using the oil on canvas that was a new technique established by Giorgione. The painting was commissioned by Guidobaldo della Rovere, who was the Duke of Urbino. The pose of the subject was influenced by Giorgione's “Sleeping Venus.” The theme was reviving a tradition of the female nude that can be traced back to ancient Greek art. Also, this painting has a lot of hidden meaning with title. The main iconography of this painting - Venus - is an idealized nude woman lying on a bed, who identified as the Roman goddess of love. Titian‘s “Venus of Urbino” is a