Introduction
Due to various developments over the centuries, including the development of new techniques and changes in the motivation of the artists, art has undergone continuous transformation.
Before the Invention of Oil-Based Paints
Before the invention of oil-based paints, tempera paints were the medium of choice for the early artists. Additionally, past artists created works of art based on other inspirations, including the monarch, nature, and religion.
The Influence of Christianity on Art
Prior to the high renaissance period of the 16th century, it may be stated that Christianity had the biggest influence on art (Jensen 22). Christianity had gained many followers in Europe by the beginning of the 12th century and hence had a profound impact on 13th and 14th-century art in the whole of Europe. Artists made reference to Christian stories when coming up with different works of art. After analyzing both northern renaissance art and Italian proto-renaissance art, one will notice that Christian religious figures and stories are the dominant themes in most artistic works (Jensen 23). As such, we can hypothesize that artists used different techniques to spread the message of Christianity to their viewers; these artistic techniques were continuously improved on and in turn, they facilitated the passing of the message to the audience. The following paper will critically analyze works of art from the 14th, 15th and 16th century to highlight Christian themes in the works of art and also determine the changes in technique that occurred with regards to art.
One of the Most Preferred Themes: The Annunciation
One of the most preferred themes is that of the Annunciation which involved the Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, Angel Gabriel, and Jesus Himself. Many renowned artists in different timelines ranging from the 13th century to the 16th century have made reference to the Annunciation in their art. For instance, "the Virgin and child enthroned", "The Ghent Altarpiece", and "The Last Supper" have all made reference to the Annunciation. Each of these works will be discussed in detail below highlighting the techniques used and how the theme of the Annunciation is included.
Virgin and Child Enthroned
This altarpiece was painted for the high altar of a church in Florence between the year 1305 and 1310 using tempera and gold on wood panel. The first painting was done by Cimabue, who was Giotto’s teacher. This painting by Giotto was a repeat of what had been done by his teacher. Giotto is said to have outdone his teacher; Giotto introduced a style where his paintings were more realistic. The first artwork by Cimabue depicted the Virgin as a heavenly figure; Giotto did the opposite where he gave the virgin more bulk, weight, size, solidity hence making her appearance more realistic (Stokstad 550). Further, the angels in Giotto’s work seem to stand more naturally around the throne; in Cimabue’s work, the angels seemed to be hovering around the throne hence making the setting appear as a divine location rather than a heavenly one. Giotto’s excellence in painting can be seen after comparing his "virgin and child enthroned" altarpiece with that of Cimabue; Giotto’s piece showed more spatial consistency and sculptural solidity owing to his use of perspective (Stokstad 550). Perspective can be seen on the steps leading up the throne and the sides of the throne.
The Ghent Altar Piece by Jan and Hubert Van Eyck
This work of art was painted by Jan and Hubert Van Eyck using oil on panel; it was completed in 1432 and sits in the cathedral of St. Bavo. Jan was able to use his artistic wizardry to come up with the amazing three-dimensional figures in the painting. The magnificence of the painting was demonstrated by the remarkable surface realism of the draperies, the volume, and the meticulous attention paid to the luminous details of the painting’s texture including human flesh and jewels (Stokstad 588). Further, Jan was able to control the lighting and make it appear as if the multi-panel ensemble was being illuminated by sunlight coming through the window of the room in which it was meant to be placed (Stokstad 589). In this way, Jan was able to firmly ground his painting in the terrestrial world even though the theme was a visionary subject.The altarpiece is dominated by the enthroned figure of God Who is robed in a red gown and wears a triple papal crown; the figure of God dominates the altarpiece by size, location, and color. The figure of God is flanked by the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist; also, there are angels to either side and then Adam and Eve. Jan placed each of the three themes in distinct spaces; the holy trio (God, Mary, and John) is in a golden shrine, angels are placed against the sky while Adam and Eve are placed in stone niches (Stokstad 589). The lower panels of the painting comprise a unified field with woods, meadows, and cities placed in a continuous horizon; there is a diverse array of people including saints, judges, warriors, and apostles who seem to have assembled to adore the promised savior as written in the book of revelation.The painting is an expansive presentation of the Annunciation. One can easily identify the theme of the Annunciation since the words issued from Gabriel’s mouth to the Virgin Mary are on the painting’s surface; further, the response that Mary gave is also painted upside down since it is directed to God who is hovering above Mary’s head as the dove of the Holy Spirit (Stokstad 589). One is able to notice prophets placed in irregular compartments at the top; these prophets are opening scrolls as if to record predictions of Christ’s coming.
The Last Supper by Leonardo
The painting was done in the dining hall of the Santa Maria monastery in Milan in the early 16th century. Leonardo used perspective to create a fictive space where Jesus and His disciples are seated at a long table which is parallel to the picture plane. Jesus is at the center of the painting and he is flanked by his disciples (Stokstad 650). The stage-like space of the painting recedes from the table where the disciples are sitting to three windows on the back wall. The painting has one-point linear perspective where the vanishing point is behind Jesus’s head (Stokstad 650).The Last Supper is the ultimate representation of the Annunciation since it symbolizes Jesus’s coming sacrifice as the savior of humans just as promised by the Angel Gabriel. Leonardo carefully painted this work hence giving it perfect geometry through the use of converging perspective lines. Further, Leonardo ensured the stability of the pyramidal forms in the painting where Jesus’s calm appearance is placed at the mathematical center of all the activity hence augmenting the sense of balance, gravity, and order (Stokstad 650). This kind of stability in painting was the epitome of the high renaissance style.
Conclusion
The critical analysis of the three works of art shows a transition from the use of tempera paints to the use of oil-based paints and then to the use of mathematical proportions in painting. During the 14th and 15th century, humans had the notion that paintings were manual arts; however, in the 16th century, it was established that art was intellectual and hence required education in the techniques of the craft as well as in the classics and mathematics (Stokstad 634). For this reason, it can be observed that most of the 16th-century art, for example, "The Last Supper", contained mathematical proportions.In conclusion, the Christian theme of the Annunciation has been referred to by many works of art such as those discussed above. Artistic themes of art produced in the 14th, 15th, and 16th century seem to be devotional visions of the figures portrayed in the artwork. The 14th-16th-century era in Europe was dominated by Christianity hence devotion was paid to predominant Christian figures such as the Virgin Mary, Jesus, John the Baptist, and the Disciples of Jesus. Further, artists continuously improved the techniques they used; in turn, this facilitated the passing of the Christian message to the viewers.
References
Jensen, Robin Margaret. Understanding early Christian art. Routledge, 2013.
Stokstad, Marilyn, and Michael W. Cothren. Art History. Boston: Pearson Education, 2014. Print.
