How the Visual Arts Communicate
Jacqueline Perrin
ARTS/100
August 11, 2014
Andrew Smith
How the Visual Arts Communicate
The Sculpture of the Pietà by Michelangelo and the Painting of The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci are both famous artworks from the High Renaissance period. The Mona Lisa was created between 1503 and 1506, and the Pietà was created between 1498 and 1499. The Pietà is currently housed in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, and the Mona Lisa is currently housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris.
The sculpture of the Pietà by Michelangelo shows the “Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Christ after his crucifixion, death, and removal from the cross, but before he was placed in the tomb” (Italian Renaissance, 2014). The …show more content…
The Pietà is a classical beauty with Naturalism. The word Pietà has two different definitions; “compassion and pity” (New Renaissance Art, 2014). The sculpture of the Pietà shows the compassion and love that the Virgin Mary has for her son. The sculpture is created of Carrara marble. The texture of the sculpture is smooth for the most part, but has different textures throughout it. For example, Jesus’s wavy hair and the facial hair on his chin both have the texture and look of it being lifelike. The folds in Mary’s veil and dress also encompass a different texture as well as the skin of Jesus and Mary. Jesus has fine lines on his knuckles and fingers as well as veins that pop out along his arm, while the inside of Mary’s left palm has fine lines that make her appear more lifelike. The color of the marble for the sculpture is white, but the shadows produce a brown reflection in the creases. The shape of the Pietà is triangular like a pyramid. The highest point of the triangle is Virgin Mary’s youthful face. The point on the bottom right of the triangle is Jesus’ feet, and the point on the bottom left of the triangle is a platform that Virgin Mary’s right foot is propped up on. Shapes that are also present are Jesus’ body, which forms an obtuse triangle …show more content…
The lines present in this painting are vertical, which can be seen in the straight posture and pose of the Mona Lisa. The colors present are warmer and more neutral in the skin, while the green hues encompass the background. The techniques of lighting used in this painting were constructed to shine down on the face and hands of the Mona Lisa in order to really give her a glow. There are three methods of values that stand out in this painting. The first one is a “traditional value that shows the smooth rounded details of her hands,” the second one is an “abrupt value of the silhouette of her hands against her dark dress,” and the third one is the “broken value which changes when the sleeves of her dress contrast the wrinkles and folds of the fabric against her hands” (Roemer, 2007). The texture of the rocks and landscape in the background look so lifelike that you could reach in and touch them. There are techniques used in this painting that give us the illusion that she is outside with the landscape. The dirt path behind the Mona Lisa keeps working itself upward in the painting, which makes it seem as if we were moving further away. The background becomes slightly blurred while she becomes the main focal point of the painting. The focal point is the “area of work that is central to what the artist wishes to communicate with the audience” (Sporre, 2013). The shape of the Mona
Jacqueline Perrin
ARTS/100
August 11, 2014
Andrew Smith
How the Visual Arts Communicate
The Sculpture of the Pietà by Michelangelo and the Painting of The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci are both famous artworks from the High Renaissance period. The Mona Lisa was created between 1503 and 1506, and the Pietà was created between 1498 and 1499. The Pietà is currently housed in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, and the Mona Lisa is currently housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris.
The sculpture of the Pietà by Michelangelo shows the “Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Christ after his crucifixion, death, and removal from the cross, but before he was placed in the tomb” (Italian Renaissance, 2014). The …show more content…
The Pietà is a classical beauty with Naturalism. The word Pietà has two different definitions; “compassion and pity” (New Renaissance Art, 2014). The sculpture of the Pietà shows the compassion and love that the Virgin Mary has for her son. The sculpture is created of Carrara marble. The texture of the sculpture is smooth for the most part, but has different textures throughout it. For example, Jesus’s wavy hair and the facial hair on his chin both have the texture and look of it being lifelike. The folds in Mary’s veil and dress also encompass a different texture as well as the skin of Jesus and Mary. Jesus has fine lines on his knuckles and fingers as well as veins that pop out along his arm, while the inside of Mary’s left palm has fine lines that make her appear more lifelike. The color of the marble for the sculpture is white, but the shadows produce a brown reflection in the creases. The shape of the Pietà is triangular like a pyramid. The highest point of the triangle is Virgin Mary’s youthful face. The point on the bottom right of the triangle is Jesus’ feet, and the point on the bottom left of the triangle is a platform that Virgin Mary’s right foot is propped up on. Shapes that are also present are Jesus’ body, which forms an obtuse triangle …show more content…
The lines present in this painting are vertical, which can be seen in the straight posture and pose of the Mona Lisa. The colors present are warmer and more neutral in the skin, while the green hues encompass the background. The techniques of lighting used in this painting were constructed to shine down on the face and hands of the Mona Lisa in order to really give her a glow. There are three methods of values that stand out in this painting. The first one is a “traditional value that shows the smooth rounded details of her hands,” the second one is an “abrupt value of the silhouette of her hands against her dark dress,” and the third one is the “broken value which changes when the sleeves of her dress contrast the wrinkles and folds of the fabric against her hands” (Roemer, 2007). The texture of the rocks and landscape in the background look so lifelike that you could reach in and touch them. There are techniques used in this painting that give us the illusion that she is outside with the landscape. The dirt path behind the Mona Lisa keeps working itself upward in the painting, which makes it seem as if we were moving further away. The background becomes slightly blurred while she becomes the main focal point of the painting. The focal point is the “area of work that is central to what the artist wishes to communicate with the audience” (Sporre, 2013). The shape of the Mona