Masaccio's The Holy Trinity is many times the height of a normal person. It is a fresco on the wall of a church. We have many familiar figures. We have not only the trinity but also Mary and John. At the time, the figure of John was taken to be any of three biblical Johns. The two figures who sit below Mary and John are donors, or patrons. They have paid for this fresco in order to exhibit their piety and devotion. In the painting, the donors are looking at each other. In real life, the donors would also have been viewing themselves viewing Christ. Below the patrons is a tomb with a skeleton. Above the skeleton reads, "I was once what you were and what I am you will also be".
Sorry, guys. The vanishing point in this image is on the steps where the donors are standing. It is in the middle of the fresco, on the steps in between the donors. Let's take this as a sign of how difficult visual analysis is.
The image relies on perspective, although Dr. Herbert notes that the perspective is not consistent. For example, if Christ were to be elevated as much as depicted, the underside of the cross should be more visible. Another fact about this image is that it may have been used as an altar.
The last image we look at for studying perspective is Raphael's Transfiguration. There are two scenes depicted. In the top half, we see Christ conversing with Moses and Elijah after his clothes become dazzling white while on a mountain top with Peter, James and John. Jesus's appearance was transfigured, and then a voice from a large cloud proclaims, "This is my Son, the Beloved: listen to him!". Jesus then ordered them not to tell anyone until the crucifixion. In the bottom half of the image, we see a crowd of people (including the other disciples) waiting for Jesus and his apostles. A man has come to have Jesus heal his son of epilepsy. In addition to the apostles, we see a book, meant to represent academic knowledge.
There is also an unidentified woman in the foreground. Dr. Herbert notes that for a contemporary of Raphael, this woman would have looked like a stereotypical woman from Ancient Greece. She is meant to represent old knowledge. She points to the earthly problem of epileptic boy rather than focusing on Jesus (like everyone else). She is a perfect representation of a secular, worldly woman.
Contrast the perfectly painted woman with the figure of Christ. His image is blurry and seemingly disproportionate. Dr. Herbert points out that the image of Christ makes more sense visually if we take two alternative perspectives on the image. First, if we look at Christ from the perspective of a church-goer, for example, then the shadows on Christ's cloak make more sense. Second, if we look at Christ from the perspective of God (from above), then things such as Christ's hairline makes more sense. Thus Christ is to be viewed from both above and from below. Dr. Herbert notes that the young boy in the image actually seems to gesture to both above and below.
This image was used as an altarpiece. The Catholic argument, says Dr. Herbert, is that Jesus actually IS the wine and bread used in Eucharist. Bread and wine may not resemble Christ. But it is through grace that these things have the essence of Christ.
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