A Look Into The Arts Essay

Art is one aspect of the past that has carried on for decades. Art in any form may it be poetry, novels, and playwright, sculpting as well as painting, has been an outlet for generations and continues to be an outlet and a means for expression. This paper will discuss â€Å" The Mona Lisa† one of Da Vinci’s most famous paintings, as well as another great painting, Antonio Veneziano’s â€Å"Virgin and Child†(c. 1380). Both paintings focus on the human form and exhibit many variations of styles from lines, shading, color and possible meanings behind the work. The first piece of artwork that will be looked is from the Renaissance Era. Da Vinci’s â€Å"Mona Lisa†(c. 1519) a painting that is known around the world, which has been known to cause skepticism as to who is this woman. Did she really exist? Or is this merely a self-portrait that Da Vinci was able to show his private devotion for the female form? The second piece of artwork that will be discussed is from The Middle Ages. Antonio Veneziano’s â€Å"Virgin and Child†(c. 1380) both pieces of art work stem from different eras but share many commonalities as well as shows the transformation of art techniques from Sfumato, to perspective, as well as linear perspective, Humanism, foreshortening and more between each era. In the Early Renaissance Era, artists from Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael Sanzio, Piero della Francesca, Sandro Botticelli and more, developed a passion and ability to create art that could capture a moment may it be a beautiful moment or tragic moment. These artists were also able spark creativity and question in the human mind as to what is or was and why. Much like the middle Ages, art from both eras focused on religious forms, humanism, from the finite details of a lock of hair to the muscle tone. The Renaissance era developed the linear perspective to create; depth and angles in work, though the Middle Ages opened the door for linear perspective to be created. Most depictions from the Middle Ages showed a human form that was stiff and schematic, like a rough draft that was never completed. However art from the Renaissance Era had a profound effect on European art. Lilian H. Zirpolo (SNHU. â€Å"Chapter 8.† 2012 FAS 201, Introduction to Humanities I.) Stated â€Å" The outburst of creativity of the era, resulted in the most influential artistic revolution ever to have taken place.† There was so much depth and thought put into Renaissance art that it was the stepping-stone for all who dared to create. Da Vinci’ s the â€Å"Mona Lisa†(c.1519) holds Miss. Zirpolo’s statement to be true. When viewing the piece, one can see the exquisite line work and Foreshortening, to linear perspective. This art form shows his attention to detail and his passion for his work. The â€Å"Mona Lisa† (c.1519) is a small piece of artwork that became very popular. To this day the â€Å"Mona Lisa†(c.1519) still triumphs over Michelangelo’s â€Å"Creation Of Adam† (c.1511), which became a part of the â€Å"Sistine Chapel.†(C.1512) When one views â€Å"The Mona Lisa† they can see the dark color scale that is used, perhaps to depict an unhappy time. Da Vinci through out this piece is able to use an aerial perspective within the background of this portrait. Da Vinci was the first artist to successfully depict an aerial perspective. Da Vinci also uses Sfumato in his negative space by blending, blurring and softening the landscape, this technique is used to create a gradual transition between areas of different color, avoiding sharp outlines, to which I believe was done as to not take away the focal point in his positive space of the canvas. Another great aspect to the â€Å"Mona Lisa† is that is demonstrates the art of science discoveries that came to fruition in the Renaissance period, which is that they were able to acknowledge how the eye perceives light, thusly how light reacts with colors and how the human eye adapts to the change in color and light. So why is that of any significance in art? Well when one takes a painting such as the â€Å"Mona Lisa† once can see how the color gradation changes to separate the neck and face from her clothing. It creates more of a realistic feel to the art. The Middle Ages on the other hand focused on two-dimensional compositions, their depictions of humans were frail and stiff, and the human art form was inert. (SNHU. â€Å"The Middle Ages.† 2012 FAS 201, Introduction to Humanities I.) Like art from the Renaissance, they also focused a lot on Religion, saint hood and humans. In fact it depicted the importance of humans based on the size they were painted or sc ulpted. It focused on women and God, as the two were of major importance at the time. Woman we scared and givers of life and love, their beauty was unfounded and they were cherished. God was the almighty and the one who created a life form that woman were there to carry on the tradition, so to speak. Is it believed through the Bible and studies that Jesus was born into this world as a miracle from a virgin. So Antonio Veneziano’s â€Å"Virgin and Child†(c. 1380) upholds that belief and leaves room for discussion. In the early times of God and Mary and the birth of Christ it was believed that Immaculate Conception was possible, as pre-martial sex was a sin. So to have depictions of such a scene may make one wonder if it was at all possible at one point in time. This picture depicts a Virgin mother coddling her newborn, both are pictured with a â€Å"halo† above their heads which signifies the importance of their religion and the acceptance of religion into not only their life but into Gods life. As you can see here as well as in the â€Å"Mona Lisa† there is a contrast between light and dark as to separate the two bodies and distinguish the Virgin from the Child. In a personal opinion in the color choice of the Virgin as compared to the Child, I would say that light colors are used for the child because he is born pure and free from sin, where as the Virgin is with sin and thusly wears a dark robe. Art from the middle ages depicts religious events, because it was the basis of life at the time. Most art from that time were done by artists who either choose to or had to be anonymous, they we for the most part two dimensional pieces of art work with a single color background, which when looking at Antonio Veneziano’s â€Å"Virgin and Child†(c. 1380) one can see how this, the background is primarily one color, it has been shaded to show detail in the halo and architect, but holds close to the standard for Middle Aged era art. Though the painting is set fourth to show a natural pose of a mother and child, the line work and attention to detail in the human form lacks. This painting though a well painted, blends the line work of the bodies making the figures seem almost uncomfortable in their poses. The colors used in this painting may foreshadow an unhappier time for the two, as dark colors tend to represent tragic, mournful and displeased events. As one can see the â€Å"Mona Lisa† from the Renaissance and the â€Å"Virgin and Child† from the Middle Ages, share many similarities in terms of their impressions of humans. Both eras focus their art on humanism, religious, two and three – dimensional works of art, the hatching used to create depth and more dimensions. Both the Renaissance and the Middle Ages have very different ways of executing the precision of the human form. The Renaissance paid very close attention to detail, the line work that is depicted in the human form is natural and lifelike, and where as artists from the Middle Ages who painted humans were stiff and motionless. Though both Eras have great works of art, it was the Renaissance that had more of a well-rounded and idealistic way of executing their work, thusly making it one of the better Eras for art. Resources Page: SNHU. † Chapter Seven The Middle Ages.† 2012 FAS 201, Introduction to Humanities I. SNHU. † Module Eight The Renaissance, Reformation and Age of Exploration.† 2012 FAS 201, Introduction to Humanities I.