assignment #4

                 The two artworks that I noticed while I was looking around the Metropolitan Museum were “Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints” by Raphael, Raffaello Sanzio, and “Venus and Adonis by” by Peter Paul Rubens. As I looked into these pictures for a while, I could notice a very distinctive style which classifies them as a Renaissance and Baroque art.

               

                 “Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints” was painted by Raphael, Italian, approximately in 1504 or 1505. This painting is an altarpiece which used to be hung on a small Franciscan convent of Saint Antonio in Perugia. Since this painting was for the Catholic Church, the theme is related to religion. Hence, in the middle of painting, Jesus Christ is seating on Virgin’s lap and Young Saint John stands on base of the throne in which Virgin sat.  Four saints, Peter, Catherine, an unidentified female saint, and Paul gather around the throne. Above them there is God of father who watches down the ground or maybe His son holding the earth globe. Next to Him, there are two angels and infant’s faces. The very distinctive description of this painting that classifies as a high renaissance artwork is that Raphael used oil painting and perspective. For oil painting, the colors of gowns are very vivid and powerful. Before the oil painting was made up people used tempera painting and with tempera, it was impossible to express light very clearly. Moreover, perspective was used in painting in renaissance first time. In the background of the painting, we could see very small tower, which never be able to small.

               

                  “Venus and Adonis” was painted by Ruben, Belgium, probably mid-1630. This painting is about Venus who accidently fell in love, because of cupid’s arrow, with the handsome hunter, Adonis. The very distinctive description that Ruben used is expression how he painted the human figure or god figure. Body figure and objects are really exaggerated, overexpressed, and very curved. Moreover, the word Baroque used to be originated form Portuguese word “barroco”, Spanish “barroco”, or French “baroque” which mean rough or imperfect pearl.

           

                  Understanding Baroque and Renaissance artworks aren’t easy. Yet, it is intriguing how the painting has been changed since people started

to draw on the cave.