Comparison of Two Artworks: Lamentation over the Dead Christ

Comparison of Two Artworks
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Comparison of Two Artworks
Mantegna and Wiley’s works share similar styles and themes. They depict the body of Jesus Christ exaggeratedly, perhaps in a bid to portray the ambiguity of death. While death is a natural process, the two artists represent the corpse in a larger-than-life way. The features are more pronounced. The thorax, the legs, and the feet are conspicuously bigger than would be expected in a real-life presentation. The body is stocky and shorter, perhaps by a few inches (Manca, 2012). There is the application of sharp contrast of colors, a technique that accentuates the features of the artwork. In a way, they succeed in creating a dramatic effect of the mourners as they have swollen faces. They are Mary and John, and a third one who is watching and weeping because Christ is dead. Looking at the two works, the viewer notes that the two artists wanted to portray the emotions and controversy that surround Jesus’ death. They also wanted to portray the extent that the demise of Christ has on many of his followers across the world.
Like other artists of the renaissance era who focused on imaginary life forms, Mantegna and Wiley paint a picture that recreates the death of Jesus, a historical and religious figure. Perhaps to show that they are slightly supernatural elements, the paintings are drawn out of proportion. It creates the feeling that Christ is a significant element in the lives of most Christians (Manca, 2012). To succeed in their depiction, the artists combine some techniques.
Mantegna and Wiley use color selectively to bring out the three-dimensional aspect, and realism. It appears as if the corpse is drawn from real life (Adams...