The altarpiece illustrates the Virgin Mary’s body ascending into heaven following her death. The twelve apostles are…
The Annunciation with Saints Ansanus and Margherita is proclaimed to be one of the greatest if not the most magnificent art piece of the Gothic time period. This piece was originally created for the side alter in the Sienna Cathedral but after being passed on to many different Churches it is now located in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. In this piece the artist has placed a large amount of iconography into it. The Easiest hidden icon to distinguish is the lilies in the vase in the middle of the picture showing the purity of Mary. Along with the Lilies the artist also has the Archangel Rafael holding an olive branch which is the symbol of peace showing he means no harm to Mary. Lastly, the author also has the Holy Ghost coming down from Heaven surrounded by eight angels representing the Holy Spirit or God is coming into her. Along with all of the iconography there are many other unique characteristics of this picture. For example, it as Mary looking as if she is afraid or startled by the Archangel Raphael coming into her house where as in the majority of the other annunciation pictures Mary is almost welcoming Raphael into the building. Another significant characteristic of this picture is the architecture and…
Tayo’s journey in the Novel, “Ceremony” by Leslie Marmon Silko borders between the cultural differences of Native American beliefs and white Americans. While presenting the difficulties during World War II and the realism of discrimination against Native, White, Asian, and Hispanic culture. However, the story focuses on Native American beliefs and the healing process that change can bring. One of the many Native American beliefs used in the novel was the guidance and understandings of animals to give a point of symbolism. Along the journey Tayo has been taught valuable lessons with each animal encounter that prove to give a better understanding of Native American Culture.…
Othering is present in many books, although they are hidden away from plain sight, only being mentioned in a subtle way. In the case of “Ceremony”, written by Leslie Marmon Silko, othering is seen through the way certain peoples are isolated or rejected from society, especially in certain periods of time. It is also seen through the short stories Tayo tells, recalling events when Native Americans faced discrimination against their oppressors, the whites. In the case of “Go Tell it on the Mountain”, written by James Baldwin, the two “definite” races present in the book (whites and blacks) are constantly pushing each other away, discriminating each other on multiple occasions, such as when Roy comes home with a cut from a fight. John sees this…
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.…
In the Ural School’s portrayal of The Entry into Jerusalem on panel, we immediately look towards the focal point of the painting. There we see a man wearing red and blue drapery with an Aureole (decorated in gold leaf) around his head; the golden halo, the use of red color (symbolizing the presence of god and strength), and blue color (symbolizing good health and human beings) allows us to recognize this figure as Jesus Christ. Christ is seen wearing a red garment with a blue garment wrapped around on the outside, this is to represent that he began as God and became human while you can view his apostles wearing the opposite colors; representing that they began as humans and have come closer to God (”Icons: Symbolism In Color.” 1).…
The first panel is the donors that commissioned the painting by Campin, the second panel is the same Annunciation scene of Mary and Gabriel but depicted quite differently, and the third panel is Saint Joseph. This painting pays close attention to clarity and detail, with varying colors and realism. The painting is in oil, and has a style that reflects the Northern Renaissance period. For example, the angel and Mary do not have halos, and it lacks linear perspective. The lack of halos, as well as Mary’s face (which doesn’t seem too happy about the fact that she is about to conceive Christ’s child) could relate to the religious separation that Northern Europe was experiencing during the Renaissance. Northern Renaissance art is very well known for its symbolism, and in this painting nearly every object is symbolic of spiritual ideas (Harris). For example, lilies represent Mary’s virginity, Joseph’s tools represent the Passion of the Christ, and the extinguished candle represents God taking human…
Ann Petry’s short fiction “In Darkness and Confusion” is set in 1940s Harlem, New York. The United States is involved in World War II, which was the first war to initiate the Draft in the US. Although New York is in the Northern part of the country, racism is just as alive at is in the South, just not as brutal. Riots break erupt throughout the city as the result of racial incidents. Ann Petry incorporates historic events of this time into her fictional story “In Darkness and Confusion”.…
Finally, there exist a Catholic thriller that has nothing to do with clergy sexual abuse and demonic possession. Detroit writer Ron Teachworth published The Annunciation (WestBow Press, 2014), an intriguing and captivating novel that blends elements of mystery and romance against a backdrop of history and culture.…
Set in the small country town of Birendulee, Michael Wilding's, The Altar of The Family is a dismal illustration that narrates the tale of an isolated and rather innocent boy's passage to manhood. Constantly falling victim to his father's belittling, David Murray, the protagonist of the narrative is coerced into sacrificing his innocence for his rite to passage into manhood, in what seems to be 'the altar' of his 'family'. Through a third person point of view limited to David's thoughts and feelings , Wilding induces the reader to understand deeper themes such as that of social conformity and pride vs individuality and the difficulties faced by those who stand out in a society.…
The painting The Holy Trinity has eight figures. These figures are Christ, The father, a dove, and several angels. The angles are wearing an array of color…
In the Sacrament of Eucharist, the bread and wine are the matter and symbolize the body and blood of Jesus Christ. By eating the body of Jesus and drinking his blood, our bodies are being nourished. This is sacred to the Christian community because through the communion, we are able to receive eternal life with Jesus. When we leave this earth, we can go on to have eternal life with Jesus in heaven. If we choose to fully accept him, he transforms us and we become more like him. During the mass we are called to offer not only the gifts, but ourselves. We can offer our lives back to God to serve him and be fully transformed. In the article Through the Eucharist, Thomas Gumbleton describes the sacrament as God entering into our lives to changes…
The nine elements of composition are: dynamic vs. stable, balance, rhythm, line, textures, masses, space, color, and modeling (36-76). The composition of “The Annunciation” is mostly stable, from the straight lines of the walls, the rays of light, and the upright positions of Mary and angel Gabriel. It is also partly dynamic because of the folds of fabric, the arches towards the ceiling, and angel Gabriel’s wings. There is evident rhythm from the repeated rays of light, hands, and wings. Although the textures in the painting are only simulated and not real, they are extremely realistic. Especially on the clothes, hair, and skin. The three largest masses in the painting are Mary, then archangel Gabriel or the large red bed behind Mary, then God off in the distance of the painting. Master of the Retable used all the techniques of space that Gill mentions: a register line, overlapping, foreshortening, diminishing size, aerial perspective, and scientific perspective. The sense of space in this painting is spectacular and is something that artists of the Renaissance and High Renaissance were able to achieve for the first time. There are many warm colors, for example, the bed behind Mary, the outside of archangel Gabriel’s cloak, God’s clothes, and Mary’s hair. The cool colors of the painting include Mary’s clothes and the landscape outside. The light source…
Often, the paintings of Mary and Jesus used mainly red and blue and are used interchangeably with one another. Red symbolized the blood and the martyred heroes, whereas the blue stood for heaven, serenity and calmness. Mary was crowned as the queen of heaven when she died and Jesus brought her up to heaven to stand with him in the kingdom of God. Likewise, Romulus and Remus would’ve done the same and bring their mother to live with them in their kingdom/city. In person, it is more stunning to witness not only due to the size, but also because of the vividness the painting still holds after all these years. It seemed as though it was done almost yesterday due to the freshness the content displayed and in comparison to all the other artworks in the area, this stood out to me due to the colors itself. Mignard’s choice to bring attention to the individuals’ clothing by surrounding it with darker colors in the background created a contrast that was not too harsh to view and the bright colors lures one’s eyes into it. Also, his choice of the lighting created a focus that draws the viewer in so they would not have to look elsewhere to determine what the “thesis” of the artwork is. Lastly, the details of the painting are astonishing to see up close. The brushstrokes of the dog’s hair looked as if you could touch it, the muscles in the shepherd’s legs and arms…
The paintings illustrating Christ’s crucifixion emphasize both his sacrifice to rid the world of sin, as well as the idea of everlasting life after death. For example, the Triptych with the Crucifixion, an oil painting on panel, illustrates the portrayals of Christ that were commonly repeated throughout the medieval period. The scene of the Crucifixion in the middle is supported by a scene of Pope Gregory the Great experiencing a vision of Christ during Mass and a scene of Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child. The closed side panels also show a scene of the Annunciation, in which the angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive the Son of God. These four scenes all share the common purpose of reinforcing the idea of Christ as a man, but also briefly suggest his transcendence. Although he is not the most imposing or impressive character in each scene, from conception to posthumous miracle, Christ is the clear subject matter in every case, demonstrating the dual nature of his divinity and…