Proposal
I am thrilled that the MET is curating a new exhibit highlighting the importance of the art of the Renaissance. The Renaissance marked a period where classic history was studied and revived to help artists use their individual ability to depict the natural world around them. It is exactly the importance of history in the Renaissance that makes it essential to include the three masterpieces of Masaccio in the MET’s exhibit. Masaccio was the painter whose innovations bridged the medieval past, and shaped the art of many painters that followed him, including Michelangelo, Raphael and da Vinci.
Although he died at the young age of 27, in only a brief few years Masaccio changed the direction of Western Art. I have selected three paintings that are excellent examples of his impact on Renaissance art. In Holy Trinity, Masaccio applies the lost science of linear perspective to create three-dimensional space. He was the first to apply this classical mathematical concept to painting, which allowed Renaissance artists to move away from Gothic idealism to portray the natural world as it really exists.
In the powerful Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden, Masaccio takes a familiar religious scene and makes it real. He uses his great skill and understanding of human anatomy to realistically portray the figures. Masaccio masterfully gives each figure individual emotion, and shows the anguish one would expect from a person being expelled. Masaccio’s rejection of idealized figures was important, as later individual portraits would emerge as a primary genre of Renaissance art.
All of Masaccio’s innovation and greatness is displayed in his 1425 painting titled Tribute Money. A masterpiece of linear perspective and realism, Tribute Money embodies the humanistic essence of the Renaissance. Christ and his life-sized followers are on even terms, signifying the harmonious co-existence of human virtue and God. In this painting, Masaccio also demonstrates how the technique of chiaroscuro gives individual figures depth and their own three-dimensionality.
The MET’s exhibit design should include the three works by Masaccio as the first paintings your audience sees. The exhibit should build from the innovations of the “founding father of Renaissance art” to reflect the historical progression from the early Renaissance to the High Renaissance. Since the Renaissance is about the rebirth of classic history, it is important to trace the history of the period itself.
Although he died at the young age of 27, in only a brief few years Masaccio changed the direction of Western Art. I have selected three paintings that are excellent examples of his impact on Renaissance art. In Holy Trinity, Masaccio applies the lost science of linear perspective to create three-dimensional space. He was the first to apply this classical mathematical concept to painting, which allowed Renaissance artists to move away from Gothic idealism to portray the natural world as it really exists.
In the powerful Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden, Masaccio takes a familiar religious scene and makes it real. He uses his great skill and understanding of human anatomy to realistically portray the figures. Masaccio masterfully gives each figure individual emotion, and shows the anguish one would expect from a person being expelled. Masaccio’s rejection of idealized figures was important, as later individual portraits would emerge as a primary genre of Renaissance art.
All of Masaccio’s innovation and greatness is displayed in his 1425 painting titled Tribute Money. A masterpiece of linear perspective and realism, Tribute Money embodies the humanistic essence of the Renaissance. Christ and his life-sized followers are on even terms, signifying the harmonious co-existence of human virtue and God. In this painting, Masaccio also demonstrates how the technique of chiaroscuro gives individual figures depth and their own three-dimensionality.
The MET’s exhibit design should include the three works by Masaccio as the first paintings your audience sees. The exhibit should build from the innovations of the “founding father of Renaissance art” to reflect the historical progression from the early Renaissance to the High Renaissance. Since the Renaissance is about the rebirth of classic history, it is important to trace the history of the period itself.