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  • Essay / Mantegna and Giotto: depictions of lamentation

    Throughout history we have seen how art has changed in the world. From the cave paintings of the Paleolithic period to the stained glass windows of some of the greatest churches of Gothic Europe, including the Statue of Liberty in New York. In some ways, the artwork and architecture are similar to those we saw a hundred years ago, and even pieces from thousands of years ago. While researching different works of art, I found many that interested me. However, I felt compelled to represent Giotto Di Bondone's Lamentation and Andrea Mantegna's Lamentation over the Dead Christ. At first glance, I noticed that they were obviously different but still contained the same story: the tears over the death of Christ. How do facial expressions and body language differ? How do certain elements visually signal their importance? What changes were made to make one painting more contemporary than the other? How can they represent the same mood and message even if they are radically different? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayGiotto Di Bondone is considered one of the most important Italian painters of the 14th century. His Renaissance style work has been admired over the centuries although sometimes considered problematic. The Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy is designed internally with frescoes made by Giotto where one of his masterpieces is displayed; The Lamentation is a fresco from 1305 made with water-based pigments. The word “lament” is the passionate expression of sorrow. In the painting, Jesus Christ is mourned by his mother, Mary, and his disciples after being taken down from the crucifix. Biblical characters are marked by halos above their heads. The human characters in Giotto's work act with great passion. We see Mary holding her dead son in her arms while using her knee to hold his body up with the other four figures circling around him and preventing his body from hitting the ground. His mother leans her face towards his as if sadly begging him to come back. At Christ's feet we see a red-haired figure, recognized as Mary Magdalene, known as one of the women who traveled with him. Madeleine witnessed his crucifixion, his burial and his resurrection. Besides the two Marys, there are two other unrecognizable figures kneeling around Jesus. Giotto painted the two unidentifiable people with only their backs visible to the audience. This gives the painting a feeling of closeness and makes the audience wonder who he is and what his relationship is to Christ. In the sky, Giotto paints ten mourning angels. Angels hover and look in distress. On the far right of the landscape stands a tree that appears leafless or dead. The tree contributes to the sad, lifeless tone of the masterpiece. All figures and objects, including the mountain, are placed in specific locations and directions that help draw the viewer into the scene of Christ's lifeless body and invite us to feel the despair of the Lamentation. Andrea Mantegna had an impressive reputation and was admired by many people and artists. He grew up in a village near Padua where opportunities for artists were plentiful. Andrea eventually continued his work in different cities in Italy such as Verona, Mantua and Rome, where he created numerous frescoes. Inside the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan you can find Mantegna's most famous painting: Lamentation of the.