119 lines
7.1 KiB
Plaintext
119 lines
7.1 KiB
Plaintext
ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßÛßßßßßÛÛÜ ÜÜßßßßÜÜÜÜ ÜÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÛßß ßÛÛ
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ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÛ ÜÛÛÛÜÛÛÜÜÜ ßÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÛÛÜÜÜÛÛÝ Ûß
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ßßßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÞÝ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßßÛÜÞÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßßÛÛÛÞß
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Mo.iMP ÜÛÛÜ ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÝ ßÛß
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ß ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß
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ÜÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÜÜ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛßß
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ÜÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÛÛÛÛÜÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛ ßÛÛÛÛÛ Ü ÛÝÛÛÛÛÛ Ü
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ÜÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ßÛÜ ßÛÛÛÜÜ ÜÜÛÛÛß ÞÛ ÞÛÛÛÝ ÜÜÛÛ
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ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÜ ßßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÜÜÜß ÛÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛÛÛÛÛß
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ßÛÜ ÜÛÛÛß ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßßÜÜ ßßÜÛÛßß ßÛÛÜ ßßßÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßß
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ßßßßß ßßÛÛß ßßßßß ßßßßßßßßßßßßß
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ARRoGANT CoURiERS WiTH ESSaYS
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Grade Level: Type of Work Subject/Topic is on:
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[ ]6-8 [ ]Class Notes [An advanced placement ]
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[ ]9-10 [ ]Cliff Notes [art report on The Holy ]
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[x]11-12 [x]Essay/Report [Trinity and The Isenheim]
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[x]College [ ]Misc [Altarpiece. ]
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Dizzed: 07/94 # of Words:750 School: co-ed public State: NY
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ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>Chop Here>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
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A.P. Art History
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# II: Masaccio: The Holy Trinity
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Grunewald: The Isenheim Altarpiece (closed)
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The Holy Trinity by Masaccio was done approximately 1428. It is a
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superb example of Masaccio's use of space and perspective. It consists of
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two levels of unequal height. Christ is represented on the top half, in a
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coffered, barrel-vaulted chapel. On one side of him is the Virgin Mary,
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and on the other, St. John. Christ himself is supported by God the Father,
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and the Dove of the Holy Spirit rests on Christ's halo. In front of the
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pilasters that enframe the chapel kneel the donors (husband and wife).
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Underneath the altar (a masonry insert in the painted composition) is a
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tomb. Inside the tomb is a skeleton, which may represent Adam. The
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vanishing point is at the center of the masonry altar, because this is the
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eye level of the spectator, who looks up at the Trinity and down at the
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tomb. The vanishing point, five feet above the floor level, pulls both
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views together. By doing this, an illusion of an actual structure is
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created. The interior volume of this 'structure' is an tension of the
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space that the person looking at the work is standing in. The adjustment
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of the spectator to the pictured space is one of the first steps in the
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development of illusionistic painting. Illusionistic painting fascinated
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many artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
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The proportions in this painting are so numerically exact that one can
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actually calculate the numerical dimensions of the chapel in the
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background. The span of the painted vault is seven feet, and the depth is
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nine feet. "Thus, he achieves not only successful illusion, but a
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rational, metrical coherence that, by maintaining the mathematical
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proportions of the surface design, is responsible for the unity and harmony
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of this monumental composition." Two principal interests are summed up by
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The Holy Trinity: Realism based on observation, and the application of
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mathematics to pictorial organization.
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All of the figures are fully clothed, except for that of Christ
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himself. He is, however, wearing a robe around his waist. The figure is
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"real"; it is a good example of a human body. The rest of the figures,
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who are clothed, are wearing robes. The drapery contains heavy folds and
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creases, which increases the effect of shadows. The human form in its
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entirety is not seen under the drapery; only a vague representation of it
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is seen. It is not at all like the 'wet-drapery' of Classical antiquity.
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Massacio places the forms symmetrically in the composition. Each has
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its own weight and mass, unlike earlier Renaissance works. The fresco is
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calm, and creates a sad mood. The mood is furthered by the darkness of the
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work, and the heavy shadows cast.
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Grunewald's The Isenheim Altarpiece is an oil painting on wood,
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completed in 1515. The altar is composed of a carved wooden shrine with
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two pairs of movable panels, one directly in back of the other. The
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outermost scene is the Crucifixion; on the inside there are two others.
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On the two sides, two saints are represented (St. Sebastian on the left,
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and St. Anthony on the right). Together, these saints established the
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theme of disease and healing that is reinforced by the inner paintings. On
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the bottom of the panel, when opened, it appears that Christ's legs were
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amputated; possibly an allusion to ergotism, a disease treated in the
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hospital where the altarpiece was kept.
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An image of the terrible suffering of Christ is in the middle. The
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suffering body hangs against the dark background, which falls all the way
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to the earth. The flesh is discolored by decomposition and is studded with
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the thorns of the lash. His blackening feet twist in agony, as do his
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arms. His head is to one side, and his fingers appear as crooked spikes.
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The shuddering tautness of Christ's nerves is expressed through the
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positions of his fingers. Up to this point, no other artist has ever
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produced such an image of pain. The sharp, angular shapes of anguish
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appear in the figures of the swooning Virgin and St. John, and in the
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shrill delirium of the Magdalene. On the other side, John the Baptist, a
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gaunt form, points a finger at the body of the dead Christ. Even though
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death and suffering are dominant in the altarpiece, there are symbols of
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hope: The river behind St. John, which represents baptism, and the
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wine-red sky which symbolizes the blood of Christ. Through these bols, a
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hope of salvation is offered to the viewer.
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The use of space is ambiguous in some places: All of the forms are at
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the same general depth in the painting. However, none of the forms are
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tangled, or intertwining. Therefore, the space is not badly used.
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Once again, all of the forms except for that of Christ are fully
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clothed. Christ is again wearing a small robe around his waist. The other
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forms are depicted superbly. Their bodies are not lost behind the drapery
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which they wear, yet they are not seen exactly either. The folds are more
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delicate, which create a calmer mood. (Christ's description was already
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given). The forms are three dimensional, and also have weight. They
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clearly take up space, and where they are is clearly defined.
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As in The Holy Trinity, the composition is generally symmetrical,
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centered around the body of Christ. It is a frightful composition,
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because of the events taking place. Expression is shown on all of the
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figures, who grieve Christ's death.
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Overall, the two works are very similar. Masaccio, however, was more
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interested in the mathematical aspects of painting than Grunewald. Both
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works are superb, and have their own distinct qualities.
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