My Kid Could Paint That

Masaccio, Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, 1425

By BHUX

When first viewing Masaccio’s fresco, most people, present and past, would immediately recognize the subjects as Adam and Eve. Expulsion from the Garden of Eden is the first part of a cycle done by Masaccio in 1425 for the Brancacci Chapel in Florence, Italy. Only two of Masaccio’s masterpieces have survived to the current day, a fresco of the Trinity and the series of frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel, although damaged greatly from fire in 1771. Masaccio was praised during his lifetime for his unconventional artistic style; he is remembered for his skills in depicting the natural human form, as seen in Expulsion from the Garden of Eden. 
The form and movement Adam and Eve are painted with was unprecedented at the time. Painting such sacred characters with such humanistic characteristics was uncommon and unconventional. Masaccio developed his technique to become a master Imitatore della natura- or imitator of nature. Immediately, the eye is drawn to the pain-stricken faces of Adam and Eve. Adam, aware of his irreversible sin, hides his face in shame while Eve expresses her grief by the pressing of her breast with her hand. The nudity would not have been controversial at the time and widely accepted, although fig leaves were added to cover the genitals nearly three centuries later. The leaves were later removed in the 1980s when the painting underwent a full restoration. Masaccio’s famous use of rilievo, or relief, is also apparent in Adam and Eve’s form. Masaccio uses highlights and shadows to give the bodies depth and dimension. Masaccio creates lifelike movement with contrapposto, which creates movement and fluidity in their forward movement by placing most of their weight on one foot so their shoulders and torso twist from their axis. However it should be noted that while advanced for the time, the dimensions of Adam and Eve’s bodies are disproportionate. Adam’s arms are improperly small and Eve’s left arm is unusually long. Despite the flaws, Masaccio’s depiction of Adam and Eve’s departure beautifully captures the sinners’ despair and movement.

Masaccio, Portrait of a Young Man,  1423-1424

Masaccio, San Giovenale Triptych, 1422

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."

Masaccio, Expulsion from the Garden, 1427

Rebellious Soul
A Walk on the Wild Side
Curated by Leo Yuan

"The Lord God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken." (Genesis 3:23)

With shame, regret, agony, and perhaps most unbearably, sin, mankind are banished from the land of paradise. Look at Adam. He is so ashamed that he tries to cover his face but in turn exposes himself more. While God's condemnation is still emanating out of the arch, and the armed angel is ruthlessly pointing out to them their seemingly doomed future, all that Adam and Eve see is the hardship of life and privation of everything that lies beyond that gate they just walked out. And we seem to catch a glimpse of a 15th-century view towards common people's lives, one that is filled with unstable livelihood, misfortune, insecurity, and a constant fear of uncertainty of the future -plagues and wars, a life just too fragile with too much misery. Hence the idea of there exists an after-life, a much better one of course, is crucial for one to endure the hardship of this life. And often one's only goal becomes to work his way back to that gate, beyond where, life is always easy and assuring.

It is always interesting to me to see men justify everything from a cause-and-effect perspective. Known to all, Eve is induced by a serpent into eating an apple from the tree of knowledge, who then gives it to Adam. The apple opens their eyes and they realize their nakedness and become ashamed. Discovered by God, they are expelled from the garden. Therefore essentially, the apple, interpreted as the original sin, is what drives man out of the paradise. But is it? Don't humans take active roles in this story? Isn't it ironic that we're always tempted to do that one thing they are told not to? And what lies between that transient moment of sweet defiance and the long regret that follows? I wouldn't know if men are born good or evil, but Adam and Eve seem to tell me that men are born rebellious. It takes efforts for authorities to tame them, and by all necessary means, to suppress them to a state of obedience. And yet, when they are told not to think of a pink elephant, all that they think is a pink elephant.

Curator's note: In this first piece of the collection, I try to explore the primordial act of rebellion by tracing back to the Scripture. And the rest of the collection will continue on what happens after man walks into the wilderness with his rebellious soul.

Masaccio, Tribute Money, 1427

A chronologically skewed narrative, Masaccio’s Tribute Money depicts the Gospel according to Luke, specifically, the catching of the dry fish and its aftermath. With Jesus’ forehead as the vanishing point, the eye is drawn straight to the center, where the initial miracle begins. Jesus tells Peter, a helpless fisherman amidst a drought, that with one more casting of his net, he will catch a fish. Following this miracle, a tax collector arrives, demanding the funds of Christ. To Peter, Jesus poses the question, "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?" Peter argues for the exemption from taxes for the son a God, but Jesus sends him to the river. Peter catches a fish, and from its mouth collects Jesus’ tax. Heeding his redeemer, Peter goes to the river once again (portrayed on the left side of the composition) finds a coin in the fish’s mouth, and pays the tax collector on the right side of the composition.

Though generally barren and indicative of the drought described in the book of Luke, the strong vertical trees behind Jesus show at least scant signs of life. The gothic architecture on the right serves to provide viewer with a structured, regal, setting for the tax collector’s portion of the narrative. Seeming to disappear into a mountain, the building creates a barrier for the only non-religious member of the story portrayed.

Evident in the shadows, lighting, and drapery, Masaccio’s mastery of character drawing proves almost detrimental, had he not added halos. So realistic, Masaccio’s figures seem almost too lifelike to be holy. The meticulous placement of halos keeps the beings realistic, but frankly indicates their religious status. Jesus’ half-circle halo has been interpreted by scholars as a mathematical tribute to Jesus’ wisdom and power. A three-part story, Masaccio depicts one of Christ’s most obscure miracles with a clearly separated composition.

Masaccio, The Holy Trinity, 1425-1427

Five hundred years before Nick Romano, the Italian painter Masaccio lived by his motto - live fast, die young, and leave a pretty... fresco. His body of work is relatively small, since he died early at the age of twenty-eight. However, his paintings had an undeniable influence on other artists on his time and beyond. He mastered the relatively new technique of linear perspective and moved toward a more naturalistic style, creating truly beautiful and detailed frescoes.
Jesus is shown crucified, with God standing behind him, underneath a barrel vault that appears to extend back into the wall. Before him stand Mary and St. John, then two kneeling donors at a slightly lower level. Scholars disagree as to who the two may be; they belong to either the Lenzi family or the Berti. The figures are roughly human height and slightly above eye level, forcing the viewer to look up towards the promise of salvation. Directly at eye level is a memento mori, a skeletal reminder of our own mortality, with the not-so-subtle inscription "I once was what you are and what I am you also will be" carved above.

The limited palette of blues, reds, and greys, combined with the images of death and crucifixion, bears down relentlessly on the viewer, impressing upon them a sense of hopelessness. The tomblike arch of the background, unique among paintings with similar themes from the time, further encloses the scene. Other works depicting the Trinity were set outdoors, in rolling fields, or on a flat gold-leaf field. Little documentation exists on the creation of this haunting fresco, leaving the circumstances of its commission a mystery. What is known is that Masaccio died soon after, in 1428, and many of his frescos were damaged or destroyed in the interim. Only four surviving frescoes can be conclusively attributed to him.

Pisa Altarpiece: The Crucifixion of St. Peter, Masaccio, 1426