The Renaissance Men: da Vinci, Michaelangelo and Bellini - Research Paper Example

Humanities: compare three literary, philosophical or visual pieces of art The Renaissance Men: da Vinci, Michaelangelo and Bellini The Madonna, or the Virgin Mary, has always been a favorite subject of painters, especially in the Renaissance period. During that time, there was a huge demand for religious icons and their representations. Famous painters of that era are Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo and Giovanni Bellini. During the Renaissance, art began to flourish, as well as the sciences. This resulted to artwork being realistic, as to pay respects to science. The paintings were also balanced and neat, to exemplify logic that is rampant in the times. Leonardo da Vinci was one of the famous persons during that time. He was a painter, inventor, engineer, etc. He was described as the archetype of the Renaissance Man (Gardner, 450-456). He is always compared to Michaelangelo, another artist: he is a painter, sculptor and an architect. Giovanni Bellini is also a famous Renaissance artist, having mentored two Renaissance artists, namely: Giorgione and Titian. Leonardo da Vinci’s Madonna sketches were fast sketches, like studies. They usually focus on the face of a woman, and they are more of illustrations. But his paintings are more complex, with intricate details full of meanings and characters with subtle roles in the meanings of the painting. His paintings are like puzzles. Michaelangelo’s works regarding Madonna are more famous, starting with the Pieta which features the Virgin Mary and a dying Jesus Christ. Michaelangelo’s Madonna of Bruges is also a famous artwork, but it features Mary with a baby Jesus. Bellini’s Madonnas are similar to that of Michaelangelo’s in a sense that they feature Mary with Jesus, and they highlight the maternal bond between them. Three of these Renaissance artists have the Madonna as their subjects, although they have different treatments for it. Starting with Michaelangelo as a man who sculpts (even if he paints!) Madonna figures. Leonardo da Vinci, like Bellini, likes to paint the Madonna. The major difference in their works is the composition. Bellini’s works are more standardized, and straight. His paintings are very well balanced. Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings on the other hand convey movement, and are quite dynamic. Unlike Bellini’s paintings which are more structured and constructed, da Vinci’s lines are more fluid. The expression of the subject’s faces in these two painter’s works are also contrasting. In da Vinci’s works, the faces are more expressive, as compared to Bellini’s works. In Michaelangelo’s Madonna, the lines of his sculpture are also dynamic. Even if the Madonna is sitting (as in the Bruges), you could actually seem to know what she is thinking and it is not just a blank stare. His Mary in that sculpture is somewhat cold, yes, but it seems to tell the audience that she knows that the child she has in front of her is bound to die in a cruel death. In Pieta, we see Mary bowing down to mourn for her son. It is probably the most famous rendition of the Madonna. Michaelangelo’s sculptures are quite intricate and they are also pregnant with meanings and implications. His treatment of the Pieta is similar to that of da Vinci, with subtle meanings and without really a care for balance. Their works are more dynamic in nature. As time went, the Madonna was painted alone, without her son. This was because her image is venerated and can stand alone, because it can readily be identified as a potent symbol of maternal bond, love and compassion. Edvard Munch Madonna is one of the famous paintings that Edvard Munch made. Madonna, as the name implies, is the Virgin Mary. This portrays Mary in a sensual pose, suggesting that she is intended to demonstrate that she is in the process of intercourse, as seen from a point of view of a man. The pose and the expression of the woman is ecstatic and free, unlike other Madonna images, but at the same time, the features of the woman is similar to the popular notion of Madonna, who is clam and perfect. The eyes and mouth are closed, expressing reserve, perhaps because of the act. The halo on top of her head is colored red, symbolizing pain and passion at the same time. It can also mean love. Edvard Munch is a Norweigan expressionist painter. He was born in December 12, 1863 and he died in January 23, 1944. He loved woman subjects, from his work in The Sick Child, Puberty and Love and Pain. His paintings like Madonna and Women in Three Stages. His work is characterized by heavy brushstrokes, similar to Van Gogh’s, and the subjects are quite pessimistic in nature. As an expressionist, he is expected to present the world according to his own interpretations and this is his. Expressionism, unlike realism, is entirely subjective. The subjects of expressionist paintings are often distorted and the colors exaggerated. The elements are dynamic and the paintings have much movement in them, as compared to smooth strokes of realistic paintings. Munch’s paintings reflect his troubled mind. In his later years, he began to paint things related to nature and this made his paintings more colorful and settled. Questions: Question 1: Is this painting blasphemous? Answer 1: No, because it is art. Answer 2: Not really. Although it is sexy, let’s face it, if you do not know what the word Madonna means, you wouldn’t even think that this is the Virgin Mary. Answer 3: It is very sensual and it does evoke a bit of eroticism on the part of the painter but then the expression of the woman’s face looks so innocent, it somehow cancels out the “lust” in the picture. Question 2: What do you think does the painting mean? Answer 1: That the Virgin Mary is not a virgin, actually. Answer 2: It means that the Virgin Mary is a person with needs. This is the most human depiction of the Virgin Mary, and she needs to be respected. Answer 3: The woman in this picture, Mary, still has not explored her sexuality as evidenced by her meek expression, although we can tell that she is enjoying herself by the way her body is positioned. She is young and like all mothers, this is a coming of age rite. Question 3: What is the important element of the painting for you? Answer 1: The subject and how tastefully it has been combined with eroticism. Answer 2: The subject, the title, the colors, everything! The painter knows what he’s doing, carefully presenting a saint in a most vulnerable position, yet it is still commands respect. The colors are dark but they convey the conflict that is presented by the subject itself. The red of the halo is a good symbolism of passion, too. Answer 3: I like how clever Munch is, in putting a religious icon as a subject and doing a very passionate act that is not readily associated with saints. The subject of this painting is what this makes this art form complete, starting with its title. Works Cited: Kleiner, Fred. Gardner’s Art Through The Ages. 13th ed. Belmont, California: Wadsworth, 2010. Print Frederick Hartt, A History of Italian Renaissance Art, New York: Thames and Hudson, 1970. Print Read More