Here is my main Critical & Contextual Essay. I think I did the layout wrong though, but one shall learn from her mistakes. I shouldn't have footnotes/endnotes I thoink and the pictures should be on a separate page with clear labels.
I'll make sure to do that next time!
Renaissance
Evaluate the differences between Northern and
Italian Renaissance art through the examination of two works each by a
different artist, who worked contemporaneously.
By examining the specific differences and by evaluating the work of
Rogier Van Der Weyden and Masaccio, in relation to techniques and themes,
several differences are clear. Realism and composition was a major difference
between the Northern and Italian Renaissance. Also the influence of religious
Greek and Roman styles were much stronger during the Italian Renaissance than
that of the Northern Renaissance.
During the early Italian Renaissance paintings consisted of frescos.
Frescos were paintings using pigmented plaster and painted directly onto walls.
The timing for these paintings was very important. The longer the plaster took
to try the darker the pigment became. The use of frescos is a technical
difference between Italian and Northern Renaissance. Due to the climate in the
Northern countries it was very difficult to use fresco as the colours darkened,
faded or the fresco itself was easily damaged, as a result the Northern
countries could not produce well-made frescos. However, Italians developed
their skills during the high renaissance and “displayed such strikingly new qualities
and techniques”[i].
This is where Jan Van Eyck, a Flemish painter, then introduced oil paints.
The use of oil paints quickly spread throughout Northern countries and
discovered this new way of painting. Also during the Northern Renaissance, some
artists moved away from traditional Italian styles of painting such as painting
exquisite faultless images of Jesus to far more realistic figures full of
expression and emotion and also moved further towards Gothic architecture.
Northern artists also painted far more highly detailed and realistic portraits,
whereas Italians found this skill more difficult to grasp in the beginning “the
individual portrait became one of the major challenges to an artist’s skill”[ii]. Italy was greatly influenced by its history had
continued to imitate the styles of its past,”artistic power often from the
ancients”[iii]. Italy eventually discovered oil paints and adapted
and moved away from their traditional fresco method. Italy realised it was a
superior way of painting.
More complex ways of painting were introduced such as the use of
composition, sense of depth and colour. Italy’s painters were greatly
influenced by Greek and Roman ways of life and imitated them into their
paintings, “Italian humanists had pioneered the discovery of classical texts,
and had prompted an awareness of the pre - Christian societies of Greece and
Rome”[iv]. Whereas for the Northern countries they were influenced by Greek and
Roman style to a certain extent but eventually moved away to doing their own
way of painting. Northern countries refused to generalise or simplify their
work, the Northern Renaissance had a “love of detailed description at is core”[v].
This piece by Weyden was created as an altar piece. It was painted to
just about fit its unusual haped frame that "reinforces the shape of the
church[vi] with its higher
central nave and lower side aisles. This was a new way of expressing Jesus on
the cross and depicts Jesus fully removed from the cross and gently handed to
mourning friends. Jesus’ body is realistically limp and heavy in comparison to
Masaccio’s “Holy Trinity” where Jesus
stands stiff and lacking realism. The realism in Weyden’s paintings greatly
contrasts that of Masaccio’s. Weyden paints Jesus’ body pale and pure with only
the wounds on his hands and feet, the wound to his side and blood running down
his forehead from his crown. Even the wounds are neatly done, being careful as
to not ruin Jesus’ pristine and pure essence. Weyden pays extraordinary
attention to detail and expression and painted in such a way that the figures
have the same characteristics a sculpture would, “he presented the ultimate
painterly illusion of sculpted contrivance”[vii]. There is also incredible detail to the tears and
every detail on each person’s face, clothing and body and clearly visible.
There is a great sense of mourning in this painting. Each person in this
painting expresses individually their sadness towards Jesus’ death. The woman
in blue is Mary, Jesus’ mother. Mary fainting from her sorrow mirrors Jesus’
limp lifeless body. There is very little depth to this painting composition
wise. There is enough space in the bottom of the frame to hold several figures
but there is very little space for the cross and helper with his ladder. It is
almost as if they fade into the background and are not the focus point of the
painting. Jesus is being held by Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus, who both
seem to protrude from the painting and Jesus even more so. Due to the gold
gilding in the background, this allows the colours on the figures to stand out
much more.
Masaccio, “The Holy Trinity” 1425-27/28 Santa Maria Novella, Florence, Italy
Masaccio is an
artist from the Italian Renaissance. Masaccio’s painting of a similar scene to
Weyden of Jesus and the cross lacks the technical realism Weyden has in his
paintings. “The Holy Trinity” is a fresco painting. The fresco was painted in
sections as to allow the plaster dry correctly. The figures in this painting
also lack the emotion and expression that Weyden is able to express in his
paintings. These differences are clearly evident when looking at the two
artist’s paintings. Masaccio’s depicts Jesus on the cross in a different manner
to Weyden. Jesus stands stiff at the cross, skin of grey colours and seems
somehow more ragged, “Masaccio art is one of rugged, austere realism”[viii].
However Masaccio pays more attention to composition than that of Weyden. There
is a lot of depth to this painting. Mastering Brunelleschi’s skill of linear
composition, by making a “mathematically faultless version of his newly
discovered formulation of the rules governing classical architecture”[ix],
gave the painting a great sense of depth that Weyden lacks in his painting of
the “Deposition”. Due to the great composition there is a sense that there is
an entire barrel vaulted chapel behind Jesus, “to make pictorial space look
like the real space in which men moved”[x].
All the lines of the architecture meet in the centre of the painting where
Jesus stands. Jesus is the focus of this painting. God, the Father stands above
Jesus and Mary and Joseph stand a step below him. The painting is separated
into two sections, where Jesus and the chapel are above and a tomb holding a
skeleton below. Where Masaccio lacks in extremely detailed realism he excels in
composition and giving his paintings a large amount of depth and symmetry.
Although there are
many differences between the Italian and Northern Renaissance, it is a sign of
progression. The Italians paid more attention to making their paintings more
symmetrical and well balanced and have mastered composition and underlying
anatomy in comparison to the Northern Renaissance that focussed on realism and
minute detail. It is clear that over the years the Northern countries during
the Renaissance advanced their skills and techniques by learning and imitating
Italy’s classical methods of composition and subject matter. The religious
theme can be seen throughout the art of both periods which is the one
similarity between the two. Religious paintings were the most popular, “the
demand was overwhelming for paintings with religious content”[xi]
and most profitable at the time since the
Catholic Church had a lot of power and influence over the countries. Also
social rankings were a major part in supporting the artists in making their
art. Only the nobility could afford the work of these artists, “the illusion of
all the wealth and beauty that only the nobility could afford”[xii].
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I tried my best when doing this essay not to do any plagerism. I uploaded it to turnitin and got 6%, all that was highlighted red were my reference titles... kind of odd but I'm still happy. Basically I had absolutely no plagerism in the essay...delighted!
[i] [1] Murray, Linda. (1967) “The High Renaissance and Mannerism”.
Thames and Hudson Ltd. Print. Pg.7
[ii] [2]Hale, John. (1977) “Italian Renaissance Painting: Masaccio to Titian”.
Phaidon Press Ltd. Print. Pg.11
[iii] [3] Harbison, Craig. (1995) “The Art of the Northern Renaissance”.
George Weidenfeld and Nicolson Ltd. Print. Pg.24
[iv] [4] Hale, John. (1977) “Italian Renaissance Painting: Masaccio to Titian”.
Phaidon Press Ltd. Print. Pg.11
[v] [5] Harbison, Craig. (1995) “The Art of the Northern Renaissance”.
George Weidenfeld and Nicolson Ltd. Print. Pg.39
[vi] [6] Harbison,
Craig. (1995) “The Art of the Northern
Renaissance”. George Weidenfeld and Nicolson Ltd. Print. Pg.44
[vii] [7] Harbison, Craig. (1995) “The Art of the Northern Renaissance”.
George Weidenfeld and Nicolson Ltd. Print. Pg.44
[viii]
[8]
Hale, John. (1977) “Italian Renaissance
Painting: Masaccio to Titian”. Phaidon Press Ltd. Print. Pg.22
[ix] [9]
Hale, John. (1977) “Italian Renaissance
Painting: Masaccio to Titian”. Phaidon Press Ltd. Print. Pg.22
[x] [10] Hale, John. (1977) “Italian Renaissance Painting: Masaccio to
Titian”. Phaidon Press Ltd. Print. Pg.13
[xi] [11] Hale, John. (1977) “Italian Renaissance Painting: Masaccio to
Titian”. Phaidon Press Ltd. Print. Pg.11
[xii] [12] Harbison, Craig. (1995) “The Art of the Northern Renaissance”.
George Weidenfeld and Nicolson Ltd. Print. Pg.47
Bibliography
1.
Hale, John. Italian Renaissance Painting: Masaccio to
Titian. Phaidon Press Ltd. 1977. Print.
2.
Murray, Linda. The High Renaissance and Mannerism. Thames
and Hudson Ltd. 1967. Print.
3.
Harbison, Craig. The Art of the Northern Renaissance.
George Weidenfeld and Nicolson Ltd. 1995. Print.
I tried my best when doing this essay not to do any plagerism. I uploaded it to turnitin and got 6%, all that was highlighted red were my reference titles... kind of odd but I'm still happy. Basically I had absolutely no plagerism in the essay...delighted!
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