More Renaissance Art: The Adoration of the Magi; St. George and the Dragon


Today we continued our study of Renaissance art by examining the beautiful Adoration of the Magi, by Fra Angelico and Filippo Lippi.

The students pointed out a number of Renaissance characteristics of Adoration of the Magi, including:
  • The use of linear perspective to create a sense of depth and space
  • The realistic portrayal of human bodies
  • The many different expressions and emotions of the people in the painting
  • The outdoor setting and abundance of animal life
  • The vivid colors, such as the purple, orange, and blue of the kings' robes
  • The incredible range of movement by the animals and people
The students also asked some great questions about the painting. For example:

Charlotte, Ellie, Morgan and Christopher: Why is the first man touching Jesus’s feet? Does this symbolize something?Also, are there any characteristics of Jesus that you can see by looking at this painting?

Hannah, Zach, Sylvie and Tyler: Why do you think that so many people look sad in this painting? Do they already know what will happen to Jesus? Also, why are Joseph and Mary in a large, populated city?


Next we looked at St. George and the Dragon. Spencer, Howard, Sofia and Mary Holland provided a thoughtful criticism of this dramatic painting by Raphael: 
"It is easy to tell the mood and intentions of the people, and this creates a believable and life-like scene. The painting is visually appealing, but the faces of the princess and St. George are foggy compared to the face of the horse. The artist could have used even more intense colors. They are a tad bit dull. They seem to fit too well together, to the point that they seem blended. The artist could have used more bright paints like a nice red and navy -- and maybe a nicer green."
I love the way that you all are examining these paintings so carefully ... the level of detail in your critiques reminds me of the level of detail in Raphael's brushstrokes!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Renaissance and Reformation Tweets

Image
Thank you,  Evan , for the wonderful new word that you coined during Core 4 today: Fishstory = the study of the past  ... of fish! And congratulations to the Renaissance and Reformation Tweet winners,  as selected by you... Restoring my soul is my goal I'll destroy the priests' role And bring back the religion they stole #Rhyme_time ( Martin Luther , as interpreted by Priya, Lilly, Gracie, Charlotte   and   Gracie Lou ) The story of my soul, the Pope's not dope. I pray all night, to keep God on my side; and Catholicism is closing. #One_Direction_to_God ( Martin Luther , as  interpreted  by  Jack C., Vaya, Hunter,   and   Nia ) Martin Luther?! More like Martin Loser. Luther is a liar and his theses are on fire. #Roasted ( Pope Leo X , as interpreted by Maxwell, Maya G., Bowen   and   William ) 1 Macha, 2 Macha, 3 Machiavell #machi-are ña ( Machiavelli , as interpreted by  Sarah, Darrah, Phineas...
Read more

Islam: Muhammad and the Spider Web

Image
Here are some of the great questions from today: Darrah : Why did Muhammad want to share the messages he received, instead of keeping them a secret? Jacob : Why did Islam spread so quickly? Why did so many people begin to follow Muhammad's message? Celia Belle : Are there any drawings or paintings of Muhammad? Mary Holland ,  Brehanu  and  Kate : What happens to a Muslim if he or she never goes on the hajj? Maxwell : Why do you think Allah protected Muhammad's cave with a spider web? Why not weapons? Or a trap? Or lions ? Bowen : Do you think the Bible, the Torah, and the Quran are similar to each other?
Read more

#Sofia_Gets_Deep

Image
Today we talked about Crispin. We focused on the theme of Christianity and its central role in medieval life. We compared the role of religion in society then (during the Middle Ages) and now. I've been pointing out to students that many historians argue that medieval society was more religious -- on the whole -- than today's society. Building on that point,  Sofia  posed an excellent question: " Should our society nowadays be more focused on religion? " Next, reviewing the text of Crispin closely, the students found references to many saints, including: St. Crispin St. Paul St. Remigius St. Anthony St. Sixtus St. John St. Margaret We also discussed a fascinating passage from the book, in which Bear says, "When I think on the perfections of our Savior, I choose to think most often upon His most perfect laughter . It must have been the kind that makes us laugh, too." The students offered different perspectives about whether or not they believe Jesus ever l...
Read more