1. Analyzing Art by Historical Periods
Classical
Medieval
Renaissance

3. Madonna and Child with Two Angels
Artist
Filippo Lippi
Year
1406
Shows Mary seated in an elegant, almost throne-like chair. Two angels hold her baby up to her. One of the angels turns its head and smiles at the viewer as to say, “Look at what I am holding.” Mary’s hands are in a prayer gesture. The baby is fat and round just like a real baby. Is the baby’s gesture one that a baby makes or is one of reassurance?

5. Venus and Adonis Artist Year Titian 1550
Painted for the king of Spain by Venetian artist Titian. It shows the story from classical antiquity in which the goddess Venus tries to keep her beloved Adonis, a young hunter, from setting out on the hunt that will cause his death. The god of war looks down from the sky. Cupid is asleep on the hill above the couple; the power of love is unable to restrain Adonis. His beg dogs pull at their leashes eager to get started.
The figures, even the dogs, all move convincingly, and the bodies and faces show us what is happening and how the characters feel. At the same time, the two ideal bodies make a beautiful and expressive pattern, almost like a pinwheel of arms and legs. The setting is a deep landscape that seems full of light and air.

7. Madonna and Child in Majesty
Artist
Cimabue
Year
1280
Period
Medieval
Tempura paint on wooden panel
This very large painting, which is over 12 feet high, of the virgin Mary and Jesus was made by Cimabue in about 1280 to be placed on the altar of a church in Florence. The mother and child are sitting on a cushion on a large and elegant throne. She looks out at the viewer – who in the 13th century would have come to worship at the altar – and points to her son, who looks out with a gesture of blessing. She holds him tenderly as you would a baby, though he looks more grown up than a baby.
To many delicate fods of the clothing make an elegant pattern. They are edged with gold paint, which would gleam in the dim candlelight of the church and make the bodies look heavenly and not too rounded or real. The angels lined up around the throne and the shining background covered with gold leaf tell us that this throne is not earth but in Heaven. Four prophets look out from the spaces below the throne. They are all smaller than the Madonna and help to make her look powerful.

9. Bathing Venus
Classical Period
Around 400 B.C.

11. Grave Stele of Hegeso Artist Year Period Unknown Around 400 B.C.
Classical

13. Bayeux Tapesty Artist Year Period Unknown 1082 Medieval
This hows one small piece of the extraordinary Bayeux Tapestry, which is 70 meters long and was made in Scene by scene the embroidery – linen cloth embroidered with colored wool thread – tells the history of the invasion of England by the Norman French king William the Conqueror in 1066.
The bodies of the figures are stiff and flattened, and their faces are embroidered with simple lines that do not permit much facial expression. The gestures of the large hands are clear and easy to understand. There is not attempt to show figures in three-dimensional space. The building around Harold has just enough detail to make you think about a castle, but it does not try to describe a real castle. Most important for these anonymous artist was to tell the story clearly.

15. Pieta Artist Year Period Michelangelo 1475 Renaissance
This masterpiece