In the previous episode ... Two days ago I tried to answered by a bit on the findings that his time in his groundbreaking book, Michael Baxandall posted. Primarily interested in the fascinating and highly unusual image, Piero della Francesca's "Baptism of Christ", which in some places beyond the means of painting the scene by artists of generations preceding Piero. However, it appears that the artist is still unable to resolve several serious problems of visual, such as how to show the waters of the Jordan and presented showing the shadow form. For example, several other flagship works from this period shows that the image array Piera, although very involved in composition, it is not much different from other "avant-garde artists of this period, and compared with the older by several years Masacciem seems almost anachronistic enough. There is, however, will be subject to post the second part of the" Baptism of Christ ", but the issue of how attempts visually solve the problem of water. Well, on most of the work falls into the water boundary of the picture just under the feet of Jesus. Emerging same question was the same as it was released?
This issue seems to be the seemingly trivial and unworthy of attention, but easy it speaks to the fact that things for us are obvious, and yet for Renaissance artists were by no means obvious. Promised in the previous entry in the journey to Siena that begins here is made of bronze works by Lorenzo Ghibertiego around 1427 for the Baptistery of San Giovanni Cathedral. Comparing this work with previously presented no problem can be seen visually That up the convention, which takes us from a few days. But this time again we are dealing with two angels in the foreground and the "herd" smaller, covering almost the entire background. This is the way the artist managed to ignore the problem of background, and the three heads cherubinków in the upper part refers to the opening of the heavens and the words falling from there, stressing the divine origin of Christ.
Looking at the lower part you see something interesting, however, so one of the best sculptors of the first Call. Fifteenth century coped without too much trouble. The water comes into contact with the frame of the picture (or if you like foreign relief) and somehow "bends" in it. Recipient coming closer to that work so I could see that in this way the artist wanted to show the elevation of water above the folded bottom of the Jordan, which so strongly marked was on one side and the other side of the river bank. This solution is slightly more successful than in the work of Piero (with water, drying under the feet of Christ), though still quite far removed from how they should be present.
And so it looks like "Plan B" solution to the problem of water. Placed next to the painting is a predella Bartolomeo di Giovanni, made for the famous Hospital of the Innocents in Florence in 1488, the artist, which kept a little biographical information, took advantage of the ideas here, which previously used the Verrocchio, and he shaped his style was influenced by Domenico Ghirlandaio. Looking at the water so we are no longer a river in which the feet or even larger portions of the legs are clear water beach with fine sand, but rather a black smudge-like path or lane than a dried up riverbed. In the background, however, there is water - just behind the transparent depths of the body of Christ vis Jordan and frequent winds meanders toward the forest. Why, then, in the central part, in the place where Jesus appears suddenly it changes color similar to oil? Could it be avoided to show the reflection of the Savior? This option in my opinion, the immediately be ruled out, because the material at the baptism in the Jordan is to confirm the presence of Jesus on earth as the Son of God incarnate and thus confirm the nature and the beginning of his period of teaching. Explanations should therefore look at the fact that water is a relatively transparent object is not very suitable for a reliable year with tempera on wood and canvas. Just look at one of the most famous works made in this technique, the "Birth of Venus" by Botticelli ( link) to note that painting shadows on the water in the case of tempera is not the easiest.
completely different opportunities to show the water gave the mural, the second most popular painting technique. Masaccia known fresco of the "Baptism of converts" (discussed in the previous post), perhaps inspired by his colleague - Masolina, a similar solution to their work from around 1435, located at the Baptistery of San Stefano collegiate e Lorenzo in Castiglione d'Olona, \u200b\u200ba small 8-thousandth of a village midway between Como and Lake Maggiore. Would seem that this fresco is unlikely to participate in solving the water problem, since so far focused mainly on the works created in Tuscany and northern Lazio lands. But the idea Masolina seen as particularly interesting. The basis of the composition is the figure of Jesus, who poured through the devotion of John Chrzciela water. After wading knee while he, in Jordan, where the waves are shown in a rather medieval way, trying to signal the presence of a transparent substance. Only by painting the background, the artist had to say that this idea is too ridiculous, when it cut to the limit mark of waves and uniform green river marked a further batch.
attention but as a working artist Piero directs not only the main title theme, but also on the extensive side elements. Their shape depends, of course, was the site of the mural and its unusual size, thereby preventing a zmonumentalizowanie chrzczącego christened and the creative use and necessity of the sides of the paintings. It is for this reason, the form on the right side "recover" not only clothes but also the viewer's attention, to some extent due to unusual behavior, such as wiping up, trembling from the cold after baptism and somewhat unusual grymasom face rather close to scenes of the Last Judgement. So we have to deal with cross-section of physiognomy and character, which is closer to the painting "Baptism of the neophytes' Masaccia. Incidentally, referring to the previous entry, it is worth noting that each of the characters (except Jesus) also casts a shadow.
left side of the painting is also very good. If we accept the concept of M. Baxandall, that the three angels is a reference to the union of churches and obvious result of the ongoing year-long 30th council bazyjsko-ferraryjsko-Florence (1431-1443, in fact they were three councils), in this case, it was the painting located on the Italian-Swiss border we were one of the first manifestations of this concept in painting. But is this what the artist? Angels play a role as it continues to subordinate, keep this robe is not as independent from the main stage as the "Baptism of Christ," Piero della Francesca. So maybe one more angel in this case is only the result of a desire of the artist, by as much as possible to fill any blank space on the left side of the mural? Finally, these angels are not as diversified, as it did in Sansepolcro Tuscan artist.
But back to the water. The fresco is unusual technique. Due to its specificity It requires a very quick painting, because the wall "dry" and then not suitable for covering paint. Wet plaster, a properly once their coverage, and any amendments are extremely difficult to do, and sometimes even impossible. Examined the pace of his time painting and Masolina Masaccia and found that each of the frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel, has been made more or less in a week, which at the size of the work meant the really fast pace of work. Thus, the idea Masolina water seems to understand - making it in this way deprive the threat of potential duplication and chisel plaster. Not escaped But the fact that looking at the batch of water just above the window, you can refer the impression that the water has been "cut off" from the borders of the fresco in order to place the window. Even the signature on Jan Chrzciela not save the situation here.
effect our research seems to be clear - the problems of water and shade are two issues with which artists wczesnorenesansowi not quite able to cope. On the one hand, together with the tradition inherited from medieval frontality presentation, which had to Jesus and John the Baptist placed in fixed poses, adding to them the angels accompany the scene. On the other hand, however, there a chance to change the approach towards a more spatial and plastic, but then would change a water flow of the Jordan. As it so finally resolved? The paintings from the late fifteenth century, as apparently decided to mark the ground where Jesus stood. It was assumed that he was at the bottom, just soaking feet, which gave only able to indicate the presence of water, only to immediately deepen the river in the background. Solution to a very simple yet functional. Thus, artists such as Cima de Conegliano, Giovanni Bellini and Pietro Perugino escaped the water problem "affecting" na granice malowideł. Spokojnie można było założyć, że rzeka płynie gdzieś dalej, a widz dostrzega jedynie jej bród. Inni zaś, jak Marco Palmezzano, umieścili Jezusa na wystającym nad lustro wody kamyku, by w ten sposób uniknąć problemu ( link ).
Nadal jednak nierozwiązany zostaje problem aniołów, o których pisał Baxandall. Czy Piero widział pracę Masolina znajdującą się w północnej Lombardii? Pierwsze informacje o Pierze mamy dopiero z 1439 r., a więc cztery lata po wykonaniu pracy w Castiglione d'Olona. A może stworzony przez lombardzkiego kardynała pierwszy ośrodek myśli humanistic outside Tuscany had such impact, that our środkowoitalski painter there, he went? Well, just on this issue a source of inspiration, I am unable to answer. But eventually something has to be the wiser and more talented than me, art historians, many of which bustle about the European institutions ...
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