Alba Madonna - Raphael - Essay Example

Alba Madonna - Raphael: Raphaels Alba Madonna, painted circa 1510 and measuring 37.5 inches in diameter, is one of the most well knownexamples of biblical themed Renaissance art. One of the works key compositional features is the artists selection of a circular framework to surround his depiction of the biblical triad of Mary, the child St John and a baby Jesus. The circle, with its theoretical and symbolic links to notions of eternity is invested with significance in the Judeo-Christian belief system. Conversely, in ancient mythology the circle often represented a serpent from head to tail - tying in with the serpentine satanic figure of Christianitys Garden of Eden. Surrounded by the circle, as the baby Jesus was encased in her womb before birth, Mary is surrounded by a miasma of potent symbolic associations - including those of creation, rebirth and destruction. The foreground scenery of the piece is relatively barren, in contrast to the reproductive success of the virgin mother. In biblical ideology, it was a tragedy for a woman to be seen as barren - as traditional gender roles determined reproduction to be a womans primary function. Conversely, a fertile woman was seen to be blessed by God. The emphasis on a barren landscape heightens the associations of fertility connected to the Madonna, and the barren scene is broken by the appearance of two flowers - symbolising qualities of purity in their whiteness and similarly reflecting the virginal purity of Christs mother. Oskar Fischel refers to the relevance of the indistinctness and lack of detail in the paintings background scenery (195): "the attitudes of the earthly prophetesses and heavenly messengers are also unthinkable except against a receding background." The effect of downplaying the background served the compositional purpose of centralising and prioritising the three figures in the foreground, as did Raphaels color choices for the works natural scenery - which blend and meld into one another and never divert from a complementary and restricted palette. Mary is clothed in a vibrant blue, with a secondary red garment adding intensity and drawing the eye. The young Jesus is a peculiarly assertive infant, brandishing a wooden cross and comandeering the scene, while John is submissive and positioned in a lower pose that requires him to look upwards at his young messiah. This positioning establishes a clear visual hierarchy of subordination and dominance. Fischel sums up the Madonnas depiction in this particular artwork, suggesting she represents a historically specific feminine ideal (130): "Into these circular pictures Raphael at last introduced the sublime features of the Roman type; in the consummate creation of that type, the Roman woman, he found them capable of expressing what is highest in purity, maternal dignity and grace." Rainy Day 2 - Nicole Caulfield: Nicole Caulfields Rainy Day 2 depicts an everyday scene of people gathered in or passing through a public space. Rendered using colored pencil on Art Spectrum Colourfix primed support, the image is a prime example of the artists layering technique, which contributes a degree of intensity without sacrificing the softness and blended harmony that has become Caulfields hallmark. In Rainy Day 2, the artists skill with pencils and diversity of technique has allowed her to replicate the pleasing subtleties of pastels without losing any of the detail necessary for the accomplishment of her creative vision - which is essentially inspired by and built upon the stylistic concerns of Realism. Thematically, simplicity is the most striking component of Rainy Day 2. The ordinariness and familiarity of the subject matter in the 18" x 25" drawing positions it as a kind of momentary snapshot taken from reality and given permanence through art. The blurred quality of the artwork - although technically consistent with an accurate portrayal of rainy day weather - is also a mirror to the way that people go about their business in a kind of detached, internally focussed haze. The woman in the artworks foreground looks away from the viewer, focussed non-commitedly on some unseen, unknown being or thing in the distance - beyond the frame of the image. This evokes a certain curiosity in the spectator, but also positions them as an incidental player in the artworks existence - as the main human figure looks disinterestedly away from them and into the distance. The viewer of the artwork is robbed of his or her power, and almost rendered as a voyeur - albeit a voyeur gazing at normality. Similarly, it seems the figures in the background of the image are given the status of incidental presences, in the distance in terms of spatial proximity - but also in the distance when it comes to the focal point of the piece - the foreground figure with her detailed depiction and visible facial expression. The background figures are blurred, by both the rain and Caulfields adeptness with her chosen medium, and as a result of their visual indistinctness, their identities are also rendered indistinct - they are faceless members of a crowd, lost in the haze of life. The imperative of Caulfield in Rainy Day 2 appears to be the re-creation of a mood and a moment in time. The artist herself notes on her website: "I hope to allow the viewer to enter the world of my subjects and feel the warmth or emotions of their surroundings, as if they were there themselves." This goal is achieved in Rainy Day 2 by the way we are given almost intimate proximity to the foreground figure, her closeness and particular characteristics heightened by the blur of life behind her. There is also a unifying undertone to the artwork - with the strangers that comprise much of the subject matter - all joined in common by an uncontrollable elemental force of nature. They all encounter the rain, an experience in common amongst many varying degrees of alienation and separateness. Caulfields pencilled hazy veil unites them visually beneath its veneer. The Creation of Adam - Michelangelo: The Creation of Adam forms part of part of Michelangelo Buonarrotis 5000 square feet fresco masterpiece on the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel in Vatican City. Painted circa 1511 - during the Italian Renaissance - the painting, which measures 480�230 cm - utilises color association to add impetus to its thematic undercurrents. Adam rests on a lush green surface, symbolising his connection to the earth in contrast to the heavenly realm of God and the angels. Beneath Adam, also imbued with shades of green is a scaled demon-like creature - representing the base, evil forces that are represented throughout Christianity as satan and his cohorts. The demons location at the lower end of the image alludes to the Judeo-Christian tiered hierarchy that positions the realm of heaven skyward, the intermediate, physical realm of earth beneath it, and the malevolent domain of hell beneath the earths surface. This comparative positioning is a nod to ecclesiastical binaries of good and evil. Within these binary groups exist connotations of the earthly realm as an imperfect place of impulse and instinct, whereas heaven was seen as a place of purity and perfection - beyond physicality. God is shown in the image as an elderly man surrounded by cherubs, with his red cloak symbolising passion and power and his windblown hair suggesting both dynamism and kinetic energy as he reaches out to bestow life upon the mortal Adam. Stylistically, Michelangelo utilises undulating lines and minimal angles to create a sense of fluidity, continuity and interconnectedness. Charles Seymour Jr. (201) observes how Michelangelo skillfully establishes a visual and thematic interconnectedness within the image: "This composition is rather one of part and counterpart of sculpturally distinct units, such as had already been devised for the pairs of the Ignudi. This simple order is exactly proper to Michelangelos conception of the content of the theme: the confrontation in a high bare world of the first man and his Maker." Thematically, the fresco is obviously rich in biblical imagery, visually depicting a narrative moment from the book of Genesis. Seymour Jr. (201) suggests that, Michelangelo - who was foremost a sculptor - may have found a commonality between himself and the godly creator depicted in the artwork: "For the moment of this fresco God and Michelangelo enjoy a confusion of role: God acts the classical sculptor. He has just shaped the first image of a man, giving him such beauty of physical being as should belong to the ideal ancestor from whom we imperfectly descend." Within a plethora of meanings that could be derived from the imagery of this painting - the most powerful seems to be the elusive, evocative gesture shared by Adam and his creature - as they reach out - yet remain separated by the briefest distance. It represents mans desire to be closer to God and closer to perfection - while rising above his physical urges and limitations. It also poignantly gives visual succinctness and clarity to the elusive nature of those desires. The notion of godliness as something out of reach - which is illustrated so well in The Creation of Adam - was also a theme that influenced Michelangelos personal view of the world - and fuelled a number of internal conflicts within him. Other frescos on the chapel ceiling fuse pagan iconography with Christian motifs - alluding to the artists interest in a range of ideologies. Mountain Retreat - Thomas Kinkade: Mountain Retreat was painted by Thomas Kinkade in 2005. The use of light in the oil paintings composition creates both warmth and depth - serving to illuminate scenery and emphasise contrasts. There is a certain synchronicity in Kinkades choice of palette, with hues that subtly complement each other and create a sense of harmony and visual balance that is aesthetically pleasing. The richness of the colors used alludes to the subjective, emotionally infused gaze of Impressionism - without displacing the landscape itself from the realm of traditional realism. There is a sense that the mountain retreat depicted is a place in reality - albeit a spectacularly realised reality where nature is manifest in its utmost splendour. The cottage - centrally positioned in the middleground of the painting - shows the harmonious co-existence of man with nature, as deers drink at a nearby waterfall. Use of light is a key component of Kinkades depiction of the the water feature, providing it with both depth, motion and reflexivity. The water also serves the purpose of unifying the different natural stratas illustrated in the scene - as it reflects the pre-twilight color changes of the sky above. What is above - in the Christian viewpoint - is the heavenly realm, whereas what is below is the physical realm of Gods creation - less perfect yet still infused with elements of divine splendour and majesty. By way of reflection, the heavenly realm is unified with the natural world below, giving a glimpse of heaven on earth through the artists vision. In a similar way, the cabin in the artwork contains an internal light - which we see glowing out from the structures windows. The light of heaven is found within the domesticity of civilisation - within the family and within the home - just as it is found outside - in the wilderness of nature. The surrounding woods in Mountain Retreat create a kind of frame for the central cabin, and could also thematically represent a natural buffer between a place of retreat and an outside world that is less idyllic. Kinkades vision strives to be comforting and inviting, and he achieves this through a clever interplay of light, balanced composition - and an earthy, rich palette. The themes of Kinkades works have drawn criticism for being overly nostalgic, sentimental and lacking in substance or originality. Mountain Retreat is consistent - both stylistically and thematically with the artists overall body of work - and certainly derives much from the hallmarks of American Classicism. Addressing the technicalities of his painting style and brushwork, the artists website reveals his key influences: "Thomas Kinkade studied the Old Masters � Rembrandt and Carravaggio, particularly � who exploited dramatic contrasts of light and shade with powerful impact." The ecclesiastical undertones of Kinkades vision have grown in prominence alongside his profile - and are now a powerful theme that infuses the meaning and motive behind his creative impetus in the gaze of the educated spectator. Technically, his use of light in Mountain Retreat serves a tangible visual purpose - adding depth, illumination and drawing the eye, but on a deeper level - the symbolism of light as a spiritual force for goodness - in binary opposition to the negative, evil influence of a corrupting darkness - is both pertinent and revealing. It is this notion of revelation - also innately biblical when viewed within an ecclesiastical context - that makes Kinkades approach to viewing and depicting the world - more than a mere commercialised, saccharine ideal. Perhaps, the beauty and serenity of the artists works are an accurate portrayal of his own perspective - infused with the light of his religious faith, as much as his canvases are infused with the light of masterful brushstrokes. In Mountain Retreat we see the depiction of a part of the American psyche - the world of pioneers, settling in the wilderness, a junction point of civilisation, nature and new beginnings. It is a time in history idealised by Kinkade, in comparison to a modern world where he sees materialism as a kind of evil. On his website he notes: "I imagine the purity of a world where all your material possessions can be packed on horseback and carried from one spectacular setting to another. Such a life, lived in perfect harmony with nature, is truly a work of art." WORKS CITED: Caulfield, Nicole. Nicole Caulfield Fine Art and Illustration. March 11, 2006. Fischel, Oskar. Raphael. Volume: 1. London: Kegan Paul, 1948. Kinkade, Thomas. The Official Thomas Kinkade Website. 2006. The Thomas Kinkade Company. March 12, 2006. Seymour, Charles Jr. (ed). Michelangelo, the Sistine Chapel Ceiling: Illustrations, Introductory Essays, Backgrounds and Sources, Critical Essays. New York: W. W. Norton, 1972. REFERENCES: Betts, Raymond F. A History of Popular Culture: More of Everything, Faster, and Brighter. New York: Routledge, 2004. Bruce, Donald. "Raphael at the National Gallery". Contemporary Review 285 (2004): 346+ Freeland, Cynthia. Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Rector, Randy. "Shedding Light on Kinkade." The New American 18 (2002): 3 Tietze, Hans (ed). Masterpieces of European Painting in America. New York: Oxford University Press, 1939. Read More