With such an interesting work of art, One must consider various aspects and detailings of the piece, to truly see the various complexities and hidden details that preside within it. Such applies to Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist,1510 (Giuliano Bugiardini).Upon first sight of the piece, We can see various different things going on within the piece. Whether it may be the arrangement of color, the placement of the characters, the triangular arrangement of the interaction of the characters,etc.,so much is to be seen in this seemingly simple piece Depicting Madonna, Baby Jesus, and St.John. When we see these aspects of a work, the notion of influence usually follows. Taking in Both the influences of the Southern Renaissance, along with his own stylistic touches, Bugiardini effectively portrays the significance and a level of purpose, with this close up scene piece.
When looking at the piece firsthand, we first begin to notice the structure by which this painting follows. We see this triangle of interaction taking place, in which Mary is looking and interacting with St.John, who in turn is kneeling before Baby Jesus with a grand expression on his face. The Baby Jesus is closing the webbed triangle by playfully pointing an outstretched finger in the direction of the Saint, serving as a form of subtle acknowledgement of his presence. This triangular dynamic of interaction proves to be very important to the piece as a whole. The triangle forms the “railroad tracks” for the intimate onlooker of the scene to follow as they gain an understanding of the Sheer level of significance of the event in this piece. Beginning at the center of the piece, Our eyes lead us to the awed St.John, who’s eyes in turn lead us to the central character of the piece, Baby Jesus. This tracing effect of the eyes adds to the notion of this significant event as we see the emotion and expression emitted, until we reach the end of our triangle and meet the eyes of Baby Jesus.
The use of varied color within the piece also pulls through to exemplify this notion. As we begin to look at the central pieces in the foreground, highlighted by the vibrant hues of blue, red, and tan, to naturally draw the eye to that said are. If we look at the middle area of the work, we can see how the artist utilizes a stark contrast in color, utilizing various shades of dark brown in this middle area. This overall dearth of color certainly doesn’t draw the eye to this uninteresting, undetailed area. Looking farther into the background, We can see distant hues of green in the grass and a bright blue sky. This technique of contrast in the color aids the artist in portraying perspective and depth within the piece, almost as if the viewer is seeing layers of colors. This is also aided by the brown walking path on the right side of the piece that derives from the vanishing point in the center of the piece. This walkway functions as a bridge over the bland between the light colors of the distant background, and the very vibrant nature of the scene of significance in the foreground. This most certainly aids in the display of significance of the foreground by not detracting the eye from the main attraction.
The bodies and body structure are a very interesting portion of this work are very interesting things to analyze. With homage paid to Michelangelo, The artist features the use of shadows to effectively provide shape, depth, and curvature to the three characters in question. This is explicitly shown as we see the curves and contours of Baby Jesus. This contrast of light and shadow helps us see the human form in a much more realistic light. The keen use of lighting to identify the human form is also highlighted when we begin to look at the rivets and spotlights in the clothing of Mary. Her breasts and knee are exemplified by the use of light and shadow to signify that they are present within her garment, in a emulated three dimensional space. This technique traces back to works of Duccio and Giotto in the early 1300s. This source of light appears to be consistent throughout the piece.
The setting of the piece abides by the norms of the southern renaissance by forming an non-descript area of rural land, with a simple tree looming out of the ground. In the distance we can see calm grasslands, not close enough to detract from the point of emphasis in the work. The artist worked very hard to not detract the viewer of the scene in question.
Shown by the aforementioned details and more, We can see how the artist is intent on portraying the intimacy, emotion and relevance in this piece. The visual of the Saint kneeling before Christ shows just how gratifying and appreciative he is of this occurrence. Given that this scene is so very close in perspective, we get this very intimate feeling when the viewer see this painting, as the viewer is visually invested in this close up scene. This also connects with the reader by portraying all the figures with a level of humanity and realism, inciting a deeper connection between the divine realm and the real world, which would have certainly appealed to the religious viewers in that time period.
When viewing this piece from a comparative standpoint, it is easy to attempt to reimagine and compare this work with something from the Northern Renaissance. When reimagining the work from that perspective, the central theme if this new work would most likely attempt to display a much grander scene as a whole, not confined to the intimate, small space that lies within this work in the foreground. It appears as though the work would devote much less resources to the level of emotion and intimacy present, instead aiming to display a much more divine appearing, grander scene with regards to the event. This notion would also reflect the certain use of color. We would probably see a greater utilization of gold to portray the divine nature of the beings, along with greater disconnection between the divine form of the body and regular human beings. The Northern Artists would provide a much grander interpretation of the same scene, removing much of the aspects of intimacy that make this piece wonderful.
While I personally was viewing this piece I noticed the sky blue background that embodies the room, followed by a distinctly gold accent, utilized by the large arching doors. The high, trapezoidal arching ceiling along with the huge doors helps the viewer get a real sense of depth and grandiose when viewing this painting. This influences the way that we manage to look at such a work, as the context of the situation is very important. For the Amateur Art Historian automatically looks at any work within a Museum in a much better life than works outside of such a fine establishment. This is due to the credential and sense of value and authenticity that is portrayed by the nature in which these works are shown. If we were to see this work in its original light and setting, the viewer would just accept the painting as a religious work for a very wealthy person who could afford the art. In addition, seeing a reproduction of a work would certainly take away this notion of value. Human beings have a strong fascination with the concept of the “real deal” and authenticity. With the viewing in person, it certainly does add a little more something within the viewer. Words cannot describe. I guess everyone would just have to see.