The Ognissanti Madonna or Madonna in Maesta was a work of art painted by Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337) for the Church of Ognissanti in Florence, Italy. This altarpiece which was 128 inches high and 80 inches wide would have sat behind the altar of the church where all parishioners would have easily seen it during mass and any visitor to the church would have had a easy view of this masterpiece upon entering the church. This painting indicates the Virgin Mary sitting on a throne while holding Jesus as a baby, all while angels kneel before them and people observe from the sides.
Painted in 1310 the Ognissanti Madonna not feature all of the three dimensionality of many of Giotto di Bondone's later works, with several of the onlookers appearing to be quite flat as they look upon the throne. However the painting does break with previous styles as all the characters in the painting are not looking directly forward and even Jesus and the Virgin Mary who are facing forward are seated at angles. Another partial break from earlier artistic styles is the possible representation of movement in the painting with the way baby Jesus has his hand lifted as if to indicate something or grab at his mother which is in contrast to all the other figures in the painting who do not appear to be in the middle of movement. The coloring chosen in the Ognissanti Madonna is interesting to note as well with a heavy emphasis on the reds and yellows which are used in such a way as to not appear harsh. In contrast to the rest of the painting the Virgin Mary is garbed in blue as she usually was when represented in images. The color blue at the time represented royalty and power and was the traditional color to paint the Virgin Mary. This aesthetic choice very much links the Ognissanti Madonna to earlier styles of painting and traditional thought on the subject matter.
The Ognissanti Madonna has some very clear breaks from previous styles of painting from the angles that all of the characters are represented as being in to the suggestion of movement by Jesus. While at the same time the image has traditional elements showing like the color of the clothing of the Virgin Mary and some flatness in the background of the painting. This suggests that changes in art at the time were not an instantaneous but instead an evolving process that took time to develop.
Sources
"Giotto" Virtual Uffuzi Gallery. 2016. https://www.virtualuffizi.com/giotto.html
"Ognissanti Madonna." Virtual
Uffuzi Gallery. 2016. https://www.virtualuffizi.com/ognissanti-madonna.html
"Ognissanti Madonna (Madonna in Maesta) c. 1310" Giotto di Bondone The Complete Works. 2016. http://www.giottodibondone.org/Ognissanti-Madonna-(Madonna-in-Maesta)-c.-1310.html
Ian,
ReplyDeleteI appreciated your analysis of Giotto in terms of how art/stylistic conventions evolve over time. In particular, the movement of Jesus and the angles of the figures do appear as important distinctions of the work. Did you find this particular altarpiece to invoke more or less emotion than earlier styles?