Natalio Lopez
Dr. Sandra Zalman
Renaissance to Modern Art
9/14/2014
Lamentation Comparison If I hadn’t known what region Quentin Matsys painting had come from, I would still able to pick up on some aspects of the painting that hinted towards its origin. When looking at the people in the painting, I could see they were dressed in contemporary clothing immediately signaling to me that this painting was northern. Upon further observation of the painting I noticed that the artist focused on the small details that helped to show the realism. In the left bottom corner of the painting, I noticed that the woman’s hair was detailed enough to show that her hair was light and thin enough to see through clearly but still able to clearly see each hair strand was painted in great detail. The wounds on Jesus’s hands and feet helped point to the small details that describe the story of Jesus after his crucifixion. The way the painter positioned everybody helped to show perspective. The scene of Jesus being taken down from his crucifix with the thieves still in background up the hill helps depict the story. The background contained more details like individual clouds and the distant structure that helps to focus more on the realism of the story. The painting was drawn on a wooden panel with oils that allowed the artist to be more detailed with each brush stroke. The characteristics of the painting resemble characteristics that are common among northern paintings.