Portrait of a Young Man

Hillary Eib
Masaccio, Portrait of a Young Man,  1423-1424

Portrait of a Young Man by Masaccio was painting in 1423-1425. The portrait is of a wealthy young man who is unknown. He is fashionably dressed and he is wearing headgear or a cloth around his head. The chaperon he is wearing shows the audience looking at the painting an accurate sense of facial detail and physical appearance. The lines in the headgear and strong and marked well, the expression on his face is serious. 

 In this painting we see Masaccio's use of three-dimensionality in the turban that the young man is wearing. The turban makes the painting stand out, because without it this painting would be flat. The neutral background highlights the turban. There are no other folds and creasing in the painting other than the hat. The man's eyes stand out more than any other facial features. The shadowing brings our eyes to focus on them. 

  • 7:00 AM

San Giovenale Triptych

Hillary Eib


Masaccio, San Giovenale Triptych, 1422

 Masaccio was the best painter in his generation.  Masaccio was skilled in creating life-like figures and movements. Also, he had a great sense of three-demensionality.
San Giovenale Triptych by Masaccio was painted in 1422. He finished it around the age of 20. It was discovered in the church of San Giovenale at Cascia di Reggello, which is near to the hometown of Masaccio. This painting represents the Virgin and Child with angels in the panel in the center. On the left panel are Saints Bartholomew and Blaise. On the right panel are Saints Juvenal and Anthony Abbot. The two angels at the bottom, near the Virgin, have their feet turned inwards. The angels are turned towards her, while the angel on the left gesturing with arms open and the angel on the right is praying.  

 Christ is depicted as a infant in this painting. He is holding grapes in his left hand and eating them in his right hand. This is a reference to the Eucharist. At the bottom of Mary's throne used to be a inscription. The inscription read "Ave Maria Dominus Tecum Benedicta."

  • 7:00 AM

Madonna and Child with Angels and St. Jerome

Hillary Eib
Parmigianino, Madonna with Long Neck, 1540
This piece of work was unusual by the elongated figures in the painting. Madonna with the Long Neck is also known as Madonna and Child with Angels and St Jerome.  Many critics have analyzed Parmigianino’s Madonna with Long Neck  and called it controversial. Madonna is seated on a high standing pedestal. She’s holding the baby Jesus on her lap while clothed in beautiful looking robes. In the left of the picture, four angels crowd around the Madonna, looking peacefully on Christ.

Unlike other paintings of the Madonna, Parmigianino’s shows movement and a sense of abandon. The posture of the Madonna is carefree and relaxed. The Madonna does not have normal human body proportions. Her neck, shoulders, and fingers have all been elongated. Which makes them appear more elegant and graceful. The person viewing the painting is forced to look all around the painting because of every persons disproportional body. Even the architecture around the Madonna is out of proportion with the column that has no supporting structures behind it.

  • 7:00 AM