Virgin and Child. 1150-1200 Virgin and Child in Majesty-1175-1200
When you look at these two paintings, you realize that both of them are sculptures of
two women each holding a child. The central subject of the two sculptures are the two
women and their children. The ambiance of the two sculptures is eye catching and the
positioning of the two creates a line of contrast to the viewer. The one on the left portrays the
front wood sculpture that I curved to create a picture of the kind of attire that was worn by the
women living in the throne of the kings. The paint also portrays how women were supposed
to sit while holding their children. From a close look, you realize that the two women are
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holding the children in the same style. The decorations of the attire on the front also speaks
more of how women of this caliber were supposed to wear. The second paint shows the side
view of the sculpture. At a glance you realize that the chair for the first woman has a back
support but for the second woman, it doesn’t have. Figuring out on that, it is clear that the
first woman is given more privilege than the second one. This could be that, the first
sculpture is for the first wife of the king who is given more respect and regard than the
second wife.
For art historians, it is always tempting for them to be attributed but their work
remains exemplary unique and serves from one generation to the other. For instance, the art
print of the two women are made from wood which makes it unique. Wood carvers in early
middle ages belonged to monostatic institutions that followed the technology that was
traditionally developed and preserved in the same environment. The use of wood by in the
two prints have added value to the theme. This depicts a traditional set up where kings were
respected and honoured.
The sculptures of the virgins and child were greatly curved to be used in palace where
people believed that it is a symbol of prosperity of a kingdom. Art is a tool that has developed
to be a form of communication more than it was initially perceived. The two sculptures were
curved between 1150 and 1200 by James Rilimer and J. Pierpont Morgan respectively. The
two women if critically observed, you realize that their faces are tight lipped, implacable, no
emotions and the children features are like those of a man. The two prints have a standard
prototype although they have different themes.
The sculptures have many themes hidden for the viewer to figure out what the
message the artist is communicating. The virgin is holding children but if you have a close
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check, both of them are male. That is why the artist has given the shape of their heads like
that of mature men. Therefore, the artist was sending a message of the role of the queen in the
throne. Specifically, their role was to take care of the king. They were to make him happy.
Also, they were to sire men for the king so that they could inherit the king. The posture of the
two women also portrays how women were supposed to sit. They are seated in a manner of
respect and holding the children facing in front so that they can be easily seen. This print
communicates more of the setting of a community and the ethics they hold. The two artists
knew exactly what they were wanted the observer to grasp from their prints. The use of art
can communicate more even than the written documentaries. From the two sculptures, you
can be able to get the history of the community and the cultural beliefs.
The development of artwork has seen a positive reception because it preserves the
national heritage of a country. Communication through art has been embraced. Considering
the two artists who sculpted the two paints, probably they were doing it to decorate the
palace, but with the evolution of language in art, it easy to tell the theme of the artist when he
was making the paint. The value the two artists used can tell the kind of place they were
focused on. Also, they used a form that is three dimensions so that the viewer could make
judgement from all angles. The space and color tell how the two women were ranked in the
palace. The theme is delivered well through space and color. The texture of the two
sculptures can be felt even by a look. The artists made sure that they involve the imagination
of the observer and created curiosity of having a touch to feel the texture. The emphasis
therefore has been generated by color, texture and the shape of the work. The sculptures are
well dimensioned that means the artists ensured that they made them proportional. The unity
of the artwork presented has been realized through their composition and harmony.
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Work Cited
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/start-here-apah/intro-art-
history-apah/a/introduction-to-art-historical-analysis