Title: Madonna In Majesty/Enthroned Madonna with Prophets and Angels Artist: Cimabue
Location: Florence, Italy
Date: 1285-86
In class today, we discussed how the Virgin Mary became a subject for works of Christian art, for which Jesus and different saints had been as a custom the primary focus. Mary is seated on a throne with the baby Jesus on her lap. The angels are symmetrically placed around the throne with their heads tilted. Mary's head is also tilted, and two of the prophets below the throne have their heads tilted up as well. To me, this gesture conveys thought, wonder, and/or reverence. The other two prophets appear to be in dispute over a scroll. Perhaps, they are debating over the Word of God and if Jesus is the real Messiah. Mary's hand gestures toward Jesus, as if she is introducing him as the Son of God and Savior of the world. The facial expressions of Mary and the angels are difficult to read, but I think they reveal adoration and gratitude. There is almost a hint of an archaic smile on each of the faces, a characteristic found in Greek sculpture. The rich colors, gold background, and religious nature of Cimabue's painting identify it as a work of Byzantine art.
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I liked this picture; I went in kind of the same direction with choosing a picture of the Virgin Mary. I like your interpretation for the smiles and expressions; that makes sense with the way they do look.
ReplyDeleteGreat choice- a gorgeous and significant work of art for many reasons good, careful description. I believe tis painting is also called "Madonna and Child with SS Peter and Paul"; It's hard to see all the detail in this tiny image- actually it's a small painting to begin with. If we could see it more clearly, we'd see that there is a markedly more naturalistic turn in the faces, facial expressions, coloring, and modeling of the figures- an early hint of the Renaissance.
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