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Back to Subjects - Art

Renaissance Evolution

Renaissance Evolution Development in art often follows two tracks: development over a period of time and also differences in regional development. Both changes are seen in the comparison of Barna di Siena’s Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine and Rogier van der Weyden’s Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin and Child. Originating in Italy, the Renaissance began in the mid to late 13th century. Barna da Siena was one of the early Renaissance artists influenced by Duccio di Buoninsegna and Simone Martini. Barna di Siena’s painting is dated around 1340 and Rogier van der Weyden’s painting was painted nearly a century later around 1435. Rogier van der Weyden had the advantage of development in perspective and modeling that developed over time, but was also from the Flemish school of art, a style totally different from that of the early Italian Renaissance artists. What lends these paintings so readily to comparison is the fact that the general symmetrical composition of two main figures and the sizes of the two are approximately the same. However, it is clear that a century and a different region has created stylized differences that are very clear. Barna di Siena’s Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine exhibits a highly dramatic style that was not seen in his mentor nor in his fellow student Lippo Memmi’s work. The symmetric composition consists of two main figures, Saint Catherine and the adult Jesus. In the painting, Jesus is seen placing a ring on Saint Catherine’s finger and taking her as his spiritual bride. Both figures appear to be very light and frail and the draperies they wear do not show the human form that they cover but rather dominate the shapes. Also, this painting is in the tradition of older secular works of art where each piece of work was a compilation of many scenes that told a story. The two main characters in the painting display elegant mannered poses and all the figures appear arranged in rather unnatural poses. There is a small scene at the foot of the Saint Catherine and Christ figures. This is thought to be the Christ child with the Virgin Mary and grandmother, Saint Anne. Below these two scenes are three smaller bordered scenes. The central one depicts two enemies reconciled by an archangel and the outer ones show Saints Michael and Margaret fighting demons. All these images show the triumph of good over evil, with the middle characters shedding their weapons and embracing. All these small pictures support that the painting was commissioned by Arigoi di Nero Arighetti to celebrate the end of a feud. Painted on a panel, this painting was done in tempera, a pigment dissolved in egg. The chief medium till the late 1400s, tempera dries very quickly and when it does it gives a flat and dry appearance. This painting has sharp brushstrokes that do not fuse together and the forms have very sharp edges. All this is attributed partly to his style, and partly to the limitations of his medium. Artists at this time did not know much about the study of perspective, and Barna di Siena’s image reflects this flatness and lack of dimension. Not only are there different people on different scales supposedly in the same plane, even individual people appear to have no mass or depth to them at all. Also the colors used and the continuously rhythmic lines in thee vertical lines of the robes add to the flatness of the image. Most of the colors used are cool colors of red and orange and yellow, and although all these hues do not blend into one another because of the sharp brushstrokes used, the monocolor painting seems not only realistic, but it also adds to the flatness of the piece. The background, of a lighter shade of orange seems not to make the figures stick out but rather makes them blend into the background, or more appropriately, the backdrop. Traditionally, warm colors such as the ones seen have been used when the painter wants to express excitement. Here the excitement is because the patron’s feud with a longtime enemy is over. Nearly one hundred years later, a Flemish artist by the name of Rogier van der Weyden painted Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin and Child. At first glance, the size and the compositions of the two paintings do not appear to be that different: both are dominated by two large figures in a symmetrical design with smaller details around. However, great advances in technique and style made in the 100 years and also regional differences are sources of change that has gone on. This image, a secular one as well, is one of the Madonna and her child and the first known artist to paint the Virgin, Saint Luke. As one can see, Christ is an infant in this painting, rather than a growth adult like he is in Barna di Siena’s Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine. Also, unlike Barna di Siena’s painting, this painting shows that the expressions, postures and gestures of the characters are very different from the trends of the older Renaissance. Rather than a bland yellow backdrop, van der Weyden’s painting shows a main scene in a room that opens up into a landscape behind. In the background there is a couple gazing out at the river and the surrounding Flemish town, thought to be the Virgin’s parents. The garden right outside the main room is thought to represent the Virgin’s purity. The original painting, seen at the MFA, Boston, was done on a panel as an altarpiece for chapel of the painter’s guild in Brussels. There are known to be two other well-regarded copies made and they are located in museums in England. This painting was not done in tempera like the older Italian works, but rather in oil paints. Oil paints dry much more slowly, so there is a chance for the different colors to fuse, and muted light and blurred images are possible, but so are extremely detailed images. The Flemish artists took great care to detail and realism and it is reflected in the crisp and fresh images. This can be seen in the ornate detail of the Virgin’s clothing, the tapestry on the wall, and also the attention taken to the detail of the landscape in the background. Also, hard to see are the tiny carvings of Adam and Eve on Mary’s throne. This painting is a slight play on the Adam and Eve story in that now Christ, who has just been born, is coming to Earth to save all of humankind from the original sin purged by the former inhabitants of the sublime Eden, In Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin and Child, Rogier van der Weyden shows the growing Renaissance mastery of modeling and perspective. Both the Virgin and Saint Luke are not merely figureless shapes slighted by the shapeless drapery placed over them, but you can discern bodily shapes below the drapery which is correctly painted as clothing rather than cloaks without a body underneath. The positioning of the two main characters is also much more natural. Saint Luke is seen to be making a preliminary sketch of the Madonna and her child while kneeling on one knee. Both poses are far more natural and common that all the figures standing in Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine. Also, the articulation of different planes in depth, something Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine does not even attempt, is quite good. There is an indoor space, whereupon even the characters now appear to have mass and depth, and looking to the far right of the painting it is clear the perspective within the building. The depth and recession into space is then continued with the procession out through the columns to the outside, and then far out into the distance. This perspective is created by overlapping figures, relative positioning from the ground line and also the illusion of making parallel lines join somewhere far away in the distance. These two paintings represent typical examples from 14th century Italian artist, Barna da Siena, and 15th century Flemish artist, Rogier van der Weyden. Both images depict two main characters in a rather symmetrical composition and are of large size. However, it is clear that over a century and different region the stylized differences are very clear. Realism, the style of Flemish artists at the time, with all of its detail, is quite different from the large, flat shapes of color in Barna da Siena’s painting. Just by looking at the two, it is evident that the second painting is more advanced and developed. Art continues developing along different tracks today and who knows what art will develop into in the future. Bibliography:

Word Count: 1450