Comparison Assignment Madonna of the Meadow Madonna Enthroned

A detailed Summary of Comparison Assignment Madonna of the Meadow Madonna Enthroned

COMPARISON ASSIGNMENT: MADONNA OF THE MEADOW & MADONNA ENTHRONED

The following paper is a comparison of Raphael's Madonna of the Meadow and Cimabue's Madonna Enthroned. Madonna of the Meadow was painted by Raffaello Sanzio, otherwise known as Raphael, in 1505. This time period is known as the Italian Renaissance. The painting was oil on panel and stood 3 ft 8.5 in X 2 ft 10.25 in. It is now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Italy (Adams, 567). Madonna of the Meadow is of a classical nature, which is very common of the time period. A good example of this would be the nude characters used in the art. The medium used (oil) was also being used very widely in Italy by this time. It allowed the painter to make very realistic shades and colors. The figures and landscape in the painting also looked very fluid and real due to the use of the oil paint.

The iconography of the painting lies in the history of its famous characters. The three figures come from the Bible; however, the artist has taken some liberties. The picture contains the Virgin Mary, the baby Jesus and his second cousin St. John the Baptist. The picture foreshadows the death of Christ on the cross. This point is displayed in the action of the

painting where St. John is handing Jesus a small cross and Mary is looking upon it knowing what is to come. There is a feeling of connection between the three of them by the way they are all looking at each other and the cross. Although I could find no documentation on this, I feel there is also a symbol of the trinity in the three flowers to Mary's left side. The flowers are very prevalent and are connected to the figures in the painting by having the same color that is in the Virgin's shirt. It is also speculated that the water in the background symbolizes the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist. The fact that Mary is barefoot in the painting indicates that she is walking on holy ground. This painting is among a series that has been called Madonna of the Lands because the Florentine countryside in the background is said to be under the protection of the Virgin, the Child and the infant Baptist. The Virgin Mary is also joined to the landscape by her sloping shoulders which make a continuation of the mountainous peaks of Florence in the background (Hartt, 470).

The positioning and placement of the three biblical characters are said to be in a Leonardesque-type pyramid (Hartt, 470). Raphael favored this style and positioning from Leonardo DiVinchi. The poses of the three are very calm, relaxed and subdued. His overall style of the painting was very realistic and smooth. The use of light was very natural and soft with delicate shadowing and a continuous flow of the direction of the sunlight. The setting is very spacious and deep and his use of atmospheri

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Madonna Meadow, Leonardo DiVinchi, Byzantine Influence, Virgin Mary, St John, Madonna Enthroned, Virgin Christ, Italian Renaissance, John Baptist, Baptist Mary, madonna meadow, madonna enthroned, virgin mary, virgin mary baby, baby jesus, st john, john baptist, mary baby, raphael's painting, mary baby jesus, hartt 470, figures painting,

Approximate Word count = 1066
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Arts