I decided to do a virtual tour using the National Gallery which is located in London, England (http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/virtualtour/#/room-57/). I included my 10 year old son on this tour just to expose him to different forms of art. I like to tour various museums but I have very rarely thought about what the pieces may have meant. I was excited about this assignment mostly because of having the Humanities class and discussing how world events and thoughts were expressed through art. As I toured the museum, it was refreshing to be able to point out the different time periods and explain what the artist may have been trying to convey. The first Art Exhibit I enjoyed is called “The Baptism of Christ,” painted by Piero Della Francesca during the 1450’s. Francesca was an Italian painter born in 1416 or 1418. He was considered to be a major part of the early Italian Renaissance Period. The Early Renaissance is the period from about 1400 to 1500 in Italian, painting, sculpture, and architecture. It allowed the advancement of critical thought process and cultural expression through art. “The Baptism of Christ” was thought to be the central panel for an altarpiece for the Pieve of Sansepolcro. Francesca’s technique included an exaggeration of figures, an eye for spatial definition, and an advanced blend of color and light. What I liked about this piece was the very vibrant use of color and light. Even though I was not in front of the piece, the use of color and light made the painting come to life. I especially enjoyed the portrayal of Christ as a man of simple needs but you can almost feel his strength and he depicted the three angels almost as if they were children by the round faces and curly hair. I was surprised to learn that the dove that hovered above Christ represented the Holy Spirit. The second art piece we selected was Giovanni di Paolo’s “The Birth of Saint John the Baptist: Predella Panel” made in 1454. Di Paolo was born in 1403 in Italy and performed most of his works in Sienna. John the Baptist’s birth was considered miraculous because his mother was considered too old to get pregnant. Di Paolo’s depiction of this event is well captured in this piece especially as I look at the mother’s face, which looked tired, as she rested on a bed. The use of color and the attention to detail really moved me. There are so many details in this piece including depictions of Zacharias writing on a scroll and the midwife cleaning the newborn as another midwife warms the baby’s clothes by the fire. What I was surprised to learn was that Di Paolo added Zacharias to his work in reference to an the official naming of John the Baptist, which occurred a few days after the baby’s birth. The significance of having this depiction in his work was because, according to the gospel account, Zacharias was punished for not believing an angel who appeared to him and told him about the future baby. This was a valuable experience for me because I knew very little about art and how historical and even life events contributed to it. I certainly have a deeper respect and understanding of the various stages of art.