Baptism Of Christ Essay Sample

The painting that is famously known as The Baptism of Christ (c. 1472) all over the globe is one of the most eminent pieces of art in the history of arts and aesthetics. The artistic work has stood the test of time, and has impressed the art critics with its excellence and panache. The paint portrays the angel who is holding the mantle. The kneeling figure of Christ has luminous locks of hair with bright eyes that adds to the innocent look on the face. The keen interest of the artists in nature is exuded in the portraiture of the tuft of grass at the knee of the angel in the painting.
There are a total of four figures in the painting one of the angels is painted by Leonardo da Vinci, while the others are painted by Andrea del Verrocchio, Credi, Botticelli and other students. However, the modern critics also attribute a large part of the landscape in the background of the painting to the stalwart artist, Leonardo da Vinci. The style used by Verrocchio is the traditional one of the times. He incorporates hills and plains at the distance along with the formalized rocks. There is an occasional scattered tree. In contrast, the part by da Vanci exudes originality with the mists, sunlight, shadow and water.
Leonardo da Vinci painted the angel and the parts by him in oil. Oil was a very new medium at that time that was just introduced in the country of Italy. The portions that are painted by Verrocchio are done in the traditional egg tempera that produced a surface quite similar to enamel. There are conspicuous demarcation lines that distinguish the various colors of the part of the painting. Thus, the painting mesmerizes every individual with its charm and quintessential portraiture of the matter.
The painting has influences of the Renaissance. In this period of history, the artists started practicing “liberal arts” that was taken to be better than “mechanical art”. Thus, the artists started to exude their creative genius in the works of art, just like in this particular painting. While the artist strove for being the master in portraying the physical world, the painting shows very accurate representation of the body of the humans. This was in synchronization with the advancement in the field of science of the human body or anatomy.
Also, the quintessential qualities of High Renaissance style were the simplicity of painting and the austere rejection of the things that are incidental. Renaissance painting also rejects the pretty. The human figures are portrayed with grandeur and nobility that are shown to be in actions of significance and depth. The painting in context exudes imaginative omnipotence on the part of the artists. Leonardo da Vinci are delves into the perfect portrayal of the human figure in the work of art. The features of the body are portrayed with intricate detailing that lives up to the spirit of the Renaissance movement.
Thus, this painting stands out, and continues to be one of the most talked-about works of art in the history of mankind. It portrays a perfect mesh of traditionalism and Renaissance attributes that make the painting worth remembrance and appreciation. It portrays the creative genius of Verrocchio and the beaming creativity of a young Leonardo da Vinci.