Art analysis is a precise method of identifying the characteristic features of a piece of work and also associating it with a particular dispensation. Many ancient artists had a definite message to the viewers of their artistic works hence made them into fine details for easy analysis. Artists portray different messages to the audience through their works and usually have a target audience. In this essay, two artistic works are described in detail to identify their comparing and contrasting features. They are di Credi Madonna Child of c. 1500 and Vanni Madonna Child Enthroned.
Di Credi Madonna Child
Di Credi Madonna Child is a painting of the Madonna, and the Christ Child held closely in the arms by the mother who keenly looks upon him. The artist’s name is Lorenzo di Credi and has a reference date of between 1490 and 1500, but the painting has an approximate date of c. 1500. The medium and support used in making the artistically presented item are oil on wood. It is one of the panel paintings known to have been developed with a paint medium containing oil for the color pigments. The painting was developed in the post-classical aged known as the middle ages and is mostly regarded by historians as beginning with the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Renaissance period, and the Age of Discovery. The period was marked by globalization in which exploration and colonization of the Americans took place.
Vanni Madonna Child Enthroned
Vanni Madonna Child Enthroned is an artistic work designed by Lippo Vanni in c. 1343. The painting is a form of tempera on wood and originally comprised of 3,135 × 2,705 pixels, file size: 1.13 MB, MIME type: image/jpeg. The analysts refer to it as Madonna and Child Enthroned with Donors and Saints Dominic and Elizabeth of Hungary. The source of the artistic work is the Lowe Art Museum. The painting was developed in the thirteen century which was part of the middle ages. It was a time of political turmoil, unstable economies, and significant changes in the social set up. Despite the turbulent period, the Middle Age period saw the emergence of crucial artistic and literary figures. Religion was also significant during the middle age of Christianity, and the Church were significant aspects of life. As evident from both artistic works described, religion was a central aspect of the day to day life.
Stylistic features in both pieces of art
Di Credi Madonna Child is a peculiar image in the way it portrays its message to the audience. The artist used bright colors that are conspicuous from a distance. The deliberate use of the color of the skin to resemble that of the white people is because most of the artists based their work on their localities comprising of the white people. Di Credi used a dark color on the bottom part of the painting and bright colors on the upper side for a purpose. From a natural perspective, room is dark on the inside unless lit by an artificial source of light. However, the outside environment is usually bright due to the sun rays. The use of red color on the front part of the robe worn by the lady and a slightly dark maroon and yellow parts on the rear section of the robe is a deliberate attempt by the artist to blend the colors with the color of the skin. There is a close resemblance of the colors on the role and that of the natural background environment.
The artist used light and shadows in a way that makes the painting appear real. For instance, the sky is clear and shines brightly on the background of the painting comprising of mountains, streams, green vegetation, and structural designs. It appears that the Lady and the Christ child are sited near a window that allows the viewer to focus on the background. The streams and the green vegetation depict the economic activities of the people occupying the region, hence important to include some of the features. The buildings show that the people were civilized and could erect permanent structures to live in.
The use of perspective by the artist is excellent since he displays the child and the mother as the central aspects of the painting and diminishes the size of the objects as one move further away. The viewer should be directed towards the mother and the child as the main aspects of the painting which the artist achieved. A close examination of the mother and the child reveals a circular ring around their heads probably depicting their divine nature. From a biblical perspective, the child was born after Mary conceived of the Holy Spirit. The lady appears remorseful and in deep thought of her child. She probably thinks about the life of her child and the experiences ahead of him as promised by the Angel. She also seems to hold the child tightly not to let him go to the world where he would meet his adversaries. For the child, he is composed and very comfortable in her mother’s arms and seems to understand nothing of what would befall his life. He is strong and in good health as a preparation for the journey ahead. The lady and the child have a close semblance both in complexion and the skin color. The piece of art is a clear illustration of people’s lifestyle during the period of its creation. Ladies used to wear decently covering most parts of their bodies and were usually left behind to take care of the children and attend to the home chores.
Vanni Madonna Child Enthroned is a painting on wood depicting donors and Saints Dominic and Elizabeth of Hungary. It is a form of Gothic Art that combined painting, sculpture, architecture and music in Central Europe during the Middle Ages.
The picture of Madonna and Child enthroned with Donors and Saints Dominic and Elizabeth of Hungary was painted using tempera on wood. The artist used a high intensity of colors and clear lines to lay more emphasis on the purpose of the paintings. The painter used the basic color tones of black, red, blue, and gold. The central panel features the Madonna and the Child Enthroned which is very important to the Christian doctrine. Mary is shown to wear a black robe that is identical in many gothic paintings. Her face is idealized, and her hand holds the little Christ. The lady appears remorseful like in most of the other paintings as she ponders of the life of the little Christ she holds in her arms. There is a close relationship of the painting with that of Di Credi regarding how Mary holds the little Christ. The painting on the left shows Saint Dominic carrying lilies and Saint Elizabeth on the right holding an apron with roses. On the back, the chair is a clear presentation of persecution of death probably due to the expected life of Jesus on earth. The donors are also seen kneeling on the floor beside the Madonna’s throne. The painting is dated 1343 which is a significant period of religious history when Queen Elizabeth visited Italy.
In a comparison to the two artistic works, Vanni used a combination of similar colors of the robe worn by the Madonna as well as the skin color of the Madonna and the Little Christ. The same enthroning is evident in both paintings where the artists deliberately surround the two with a circular ring. A close examination of the posture and facial expression reveals that both Madonna and the Child images painted by the artists look similar. The Madonna is remorseful, and the little Christ does not appear to understand what was happening.
In contrast, Vanni’s Madonna and Child depicts the child as well dressed in a red outfit despite that of Di Credi whose child is bare save a garment covering some parts. Di Credi’s painting has a depiction of the outside environment with the natural resources which are missing in Vanni’s Madonna and Child painting. Vanni’s painting has two other images of Saints Dominic and Elizabeth of Hungary which are not seen in Di Credi’s painting.
Conclusion
The topic of Madonna and Child is significant in the western art and represents the stylistic innovations of the 13th, 14th and the 15th Century that reflects on the religious subject that has evolved over time. The artistic depictions of Madonna with her child Jesus are crucial to the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Different artists developed several artistic representations to portray the Christian beliefs and cultures during the period as evident in the works of Vanni and Di Credi.
Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at Melda Research in nursing paper writing services if you need a similar paper you can place your order for medical essay writing service online.
