Madonna and Child - One Theme in Different Historical Contexts - Research Paper Example

Museum paper- analyze, compare Duccio - Madonna and child, Filippino Lippi - Madonna and Child Many often in the history of mankind, the topic and theme of art remain the same whereas the historical context urging the artwork and the way of treatment of the artist alter according to various factors. The paintings by the name “Madonna and Child” offer a perfect illustration of this reality and the paintings under discussion are done by the Italian medieval artist Duccio di Buoninsegna (c. 1255-1260 – c. 1318-1319) and by Fra’ Filippo Lippi (1406 – 8 October 1469). Also known as the Stoclet Madonna or Stroganoff Madonna, Duccio’s Madonna and Child is painted in tempera with decoration on wood panel and this work of art dates back to 1300. In this painting, similar to other Madonna paintings, Duccio portrays Mary, the mother of Jesus, holding the infant Jesus, and it covers a frame of 27.9 × 21 centimeters. Filippino Lippi’s painting Madonna and Child, a.k.a. Tarquinia Madonna (ca. 1437) covers a frame of 32 x 23 1/2 in (81.3 x 59.7 cm) and is can be briefly described as tempera, oil, and gold on wood. Regarded as the earliest dated work by Lippi, Tarquinia Madonna reveals the enriched language of Lippi’s work as well as his influence of Flemish painting. “In the Tarquinia Madonna of 1437, the careful study of light and perspective, which confers movement on the Virgin’s drapery and illumines her marble throne, is evidence of a strong Flemish influence (motif of the windows putting the interior and exterior into communication, presence of the book and bed, phenomena of daily domestic life, typical of Flemish painting).” (Dobson, 814) This paper makes a profound analysis of Duccio’s Madonna and child and Filippino Lippi’s Madonna and Child in order to comprehend the similarity and difference between the themes, medium, composition, treatment of space, influence of the period in which they were created, etc. Duccio di Buoninsegna’s Madonna and Child (ca. 1300) is one of the greatest paintings belonging to the medieval Italian art history which is distinguished for its sublime beauty. Significantly, this painting is celebrated as the ground-breaking opening work of art in the most glorious career of Duccio’s art and the influence of the period is very much evident in this painting. At the time of its composition, Italy was divided into many city-states such as Florence, Siena, Milan, and Venice, and Duccio belonged to Siena. It is important to realize tha Duccio is the founder of the Sienese style in painting which emphasized ornamental surfaces, winding lines, stretched-out figures and profound use of gold. The painting Madonna and Child is familiarly known as Ruccellai Madonna due to its subsequent placement in a chapel of Ruccellai family and it reveals Duccio’s style of composition. As Rachel Nicholls (2008) maintains, Duccio is generally recognized as the founder of the Sienese school of painting and “his work was so innovative and skillful that it now seen as a new departure rather than a continuation of tradition. His style did not appear in a vacuum and his approach to the painting of figures (particularly the Virgin) is a creative development of the techniques of Cimabue. His style also offers a backward look to Byzantine art with its highly stylized iconic figures against a glided background, and a forward look to a more naturalistic interpretation of human relationships.” (Nicholls, 157) Significantly, a profound analysis of Madonna and Child is fundamental to an understanding of the development of Duccio’s style which is influenced by the period in which he composed his paintings. It is also important to maintain that this painting reveals a naturalistic impulse enriching the religious theme in Duccio’s art. In comparison, Filippino Lippi’s Madonna with Child (Tarquinia Madonna) is also a true representation of the period in which it was created, and it is regarded as one of the masterpieces of the Early Renaissance period. Significantly, Filippino Lippi is one of the most important proponents of Early Renaissance in painting and he was extremely willing to assimilate the formal and technical innovations of his predecessors. As Paoletti and Radke (2005) point out, “the work of Filippo Lippi…demonstrates the range of stylistic possibilities available to central Italian patrons in the years after Masaccio’s death. Filippo’s earliest dated work is known as the Tarquinia Madonna because of its location in the town of that name… The Virgin of Tarquinia Madonna demonstrates Filippo’s assimilation of the massive sculptural forms of Masaccio’s painting; the realistically lively Christ Child shows the influence of Donatello’s sculpture as well.” (Paoletti and Radke, 233) Therefore, it becomes evident that Filippino Lippi’s works, especially Madonna with Child, exhibit the influence of his contemporary artists. A careful analysis of the painting confirms that it is painted in tempera on panel, having dimensions of 81.3 x 59.7 cm and it is one of the effective illustrations of the Early Renaissance period painting. It is important to realize that Filippo Lippi, with his Tarquinia Madonna of 1437, produced a new effect of presenting the images against the corresponding sides on the background. As aforementioned, this painting offers a crucial case for the study of light and perspective and it is characteristic evidence for the strong Flemish influence on the painting. In comparing Duccio di Buoninsegna’s Madonna and Child and Filippino Lippi’s Madonna with Child, it becomes lucid that both the artists are influenced by the period in which they produced their works. Although the theme of both the painters has commonalities, the paintings by them differ considerably from each other. Born in Siena in the early years of medieval Italy, Duccio was one of the most influential artists of his time and his works are most remembered for linking the artistic gap between the Byzantine art and the Renaissance art. The celebrated painting of Madonna and Child, which was purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, can be described as tempera, 27.9 × 21 cm, and this painting illustrates the influence of Byzantine art (with its highly stylized iconic figures against a glided background) and that of the early Renaissance art (naturalistic interpretation of human relationships). Similarly, Filippino Lippi’s Madonna with Child (Tarquinia Madonna) also deals with the same themes and played a significant role in popularizing the image of the Madonna during the Renaissance. Madonna and Child by Filippo Lippi is noted for revealing the range of stylistic possibilities during the early Renaissance in Italy. In short, both Duccio’ Madonna and Child and Filippino Lippi’s Madonna with Child have played Works Cited Dobson, Richard Barrie. Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, Volume 2. London: Routledge. 2000. P 814. Nicholls, Rachel. Walking on the Water: Reading Mt. 14:22-33 in the Light of its Wirkungsgeschichte. London: BRILL. 2008. P 157. Paoletti, John T. and Gary M. Radke. Art in Renaissance Italy. Laurence King Publishing. 2005. P 233. Read More