The artistic and scholastic novelty which swathed Europe in the 14th to 17th century (Wikipedia, 2012) led to the creation of some finest artefacts and portraitures. With the emergence of great artists, architects and sculptors, a new horizon was discovered to express the beauty of nature and repercussions of middling life (Perry, retrieved 2012). The existing art was augmented with the concepts of light and shadow (Vasari, 1568). In depth observation of nature bestowed the cosmic genre of depicting human anatomy through paintings and statues. Legendary artists like Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael lionised the power and scope of art. The period was marked by several other memorable artists and architects like Bramante, Titian, Donatello, Sandro Botticelli, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Sangallo and Filippo Brunelleschi. The cultural uprising burgeoned in Florence, Italy in the 14th century gradually impelled more or less the entire Europe to redefine art (Hartt, 1970). This essay illuminates two of the greatest work from this era by the two all-time best artists ever and the contrast between them, namely The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci and The Rome Pietà by Michelangelo.
Both the remarkable artworks were created in 15th century, the High Renaissance Art (Hartt, 1970). Illustrating The Last Supper first, it is a mural painting which depicts the scene of Jesus Christ having the Last Supper where he reveals that one of the Twelve Disciples would betray him (Clarke, 1939). The original painting was created between 1495 and 1498 AD. This life-size mural painting measures 450 X 870 cm. Based on themes of refectories, it embellishes the end wall of a monastery dining hall in Milan. It was painted on a dry wall. So earlier, Leonardo da Vinci sealed the wall with a layer of pitch and other substances and then painted on the closing layer with tempera. Due to such unusual construction, the painting suffered a relapse later (Wikipedia, 2012). But the artwork embraces a high degree of skill. The twelve apostles and their varied reaction to Christ’s announcement have been captured flawlessly. The gesso, pitch and mastic have been used to create a highly expressive art where every face and body posture tells a tale. All the perspective lines and angles enrich the portrayal of Jesus (Wikipedia, 2012).
Now turning to Michelangelo’s magnum opus, The Rome Pietà is an incredible sculpture depicting Jesus Christ in the lap of Mother Mary after crucifixion. The Carrara marble has been carved with sheer perfection to bring alive the mother and son in such a moment of emotional and spiritual edge. The sculpture measuring 174 X 195 cm adorns the St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City since 1499 AD. It is a pyramidal structure with the base formed with the rock of Golgotha with a flamboyant and highly detailed drapery of Mary’s dress on it and the vertex of pyramid with her head (Wikipedia, 2012). As a man has been depicted nestled in a woman’s lap, the disproportionate body size is evident but comprehensible. The finest elements of human anatomy and fabric silhouettes in such a stance have been etched by the great Michelangelo.
Both the artworks are representational, based on a poignant theme pertaining to Christianity and are no doubt the best exemplars of Christian art. The Last Supper has incarcerated the emotions and mystery in smidgeon of it, be it the face of Jesus or the elbow of Judas. Clad in green and blue, Judas seems stupefied as Jesus discloses his plan. His hand is overturning the salt shaker which deeply conveys that he is the betrayer (Wikipedia, 2012). Some of the apostles have been depicted to be stunned, others demand a justification. But there is more than one conjecture which can be used to interpret this work. The Rome Pietà on the other hand, is another art depicting Jesus but without any expression of his face. Because every other aspect of expression and naturalism is at its zenith in Pietà, so the facial expression of Jesus was an inevitable question. It depicts very petite nail marks and wound in place of extreme injury related to crucifixion. Michelangelo is believed to have said that he did not want to represent death. Also, Mother Mary has been sculpted as a very young woman (BBC press, 2008). This has been also interpreted in several ways. As per one of the most eminent justifications, her utmost purity has been indicated with youth (Wikipedia, 2012).
Symbolism has been very elegantly and perceptively employed by the artists here. Whether it is through the young Mary or Jesus without signs of The Passion in The Rome Pietà or the depiction of Holy Trinity with three windows, the four groups of three apostles and a triangular face of Jesus in The Last Supper (Wikipedia, 2012), there is enigmatic yet meticulous use of symbolism.
If analysed, the perception of both the artists is perceived through their artworks. They have etched more than just perfection of lines and curves with their art; it is a across the board repercussion in best of fine arts that how they remarked their religion and society. This is one the foundational aspect of Renaissance art- observation and naturalism (Baxandall, 1974). Classical beauty amalgamated with accurate and complex body silhouettes exhibited art and the concepts depicted subtly
Contrasting Renaissance Art
revealed literary attributes. Renaissance, the multifaceted cultural movement exemplifies perfection in art with humanism and sensibility (Williamson, 1974). These artworks, like many others from the era bear testimony to the new concepts born in 14th to 17th century. The legendary The Last Supper and The Rome Pietà ascertain the essence of Renaissance.
References
BBC Press Office (2008). "The Divine Michelangelo – overview of Michelangelo's major artworks". Retrieved 2012-09-18
Baxandall, M (1974).” Painting and Experience in Fifteenth Century Italy”
Clark, K. (1939). “Leonardo Da Vinci”, p144
Hartt, F (1970). “A History of Italian Renaissance”
Perry, M. Optics and Realism in Renaissance Art Chapter 13, Retrieved 2012-09-18
Vasari, G (1568). Lives of the Artists, Retrieved 2012-09-18
Williamson, H. R. (1974). “ Lorenzo the Magnificent”
Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2012, Sep 18). FL: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved September 18, 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Renaissance
Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2012, Sep 18). FL: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved September 18, 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Supper
Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2012, Sep 18). FL: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved September 18, 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pietà
Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2012, Sep 18). FL: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved September 18, 2012 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_Art
Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2012, Sep 18). FL: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved September 18, 2012 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Supper_(Leonardo_Da-Vinci)
