Precursors of the Renaissance, Essay with Footnotes Language Essay

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Precursors of the Renaissance
A new fashion of religious painting emerged in Italy in the fourteenth century, laying a foundation for the rebirth of art in the next centuries. The skills of Giotto's likes evolved from the flat art of the thirteenth century; thus, the artists of the rebirth period, like Giotto, are the precursors of the renaissance. This essay describes and contrasts Cimabue's Madonna Enthroned and Giotto's Madonna Enthroned arts to make the reader aware of the paintings' message.
Cimabue's painting shows Mary holding an infant on her lap, surrounded by saints, angels, and Old Testament prophets below them. His artwork is a bit vague or with darker shades of colors, but the background is shiny gold that lightens the image. Mary has her head slightly bent low and looks a bit weak. She points to Jesus as the way of salvation, which is the message of the painting. Giotto's art shows Mary holding Jesus on her lap, surrounded by saints and angels. He has used a lot of gold in the background, and the figures have some light-colored clothes, which make the painting brighter. The image looks like a photographer took it in some bright light, which is an illusion used by the artist, thus very clear. Mary has her head facing up straight and looks composed or superior. On her laps, Jesus points to heaven, thus passing the same message that he was the path to salvation.[Laurie Schneider Adams, Cimabue. Virgin and Child Enthroned, from the Church of Santa Trinità, Florence, c. 1280. Tempera and gold on wood panel. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, A History of Western Art (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011), page 37.] [Laurie Schneider Adams, Giotto di Bondone. Virgin and Child Enthroned, from the Church of the Ognissanti ["All Saints "], Florence. c. 1310. Tempera and gold on wood panel. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence A History of Western Art (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011) page 38.]
The two artists share some features in the paintings that enable the art to represent Madonna's message enthroned. The images of both artists ...