It is hard to disagree that artworks that belong to various periods of time and styles can have similar and contrasting features. The use of color, lights, geometry, and other elements can tell one whether a particular painting belongs to the era of the High Renaissance or refers to the style of Baroque. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to explore the differences and similarities between Raphael’s Madonna of the Meadow and Gentileschi’s Judith Slaying Holofernes.
To begin with, it is possible to discuss how the paintings are similar. First, both artworks are focused on depicting human figures and adhering to realism. Female figures are at the center of Raphael’s and Gentileschi’s paintings, and males are also present, although they are depicted as less significant or powerful as compared to women (Italian Renaissance, n.d.). Finally, another similarity is the use of orientations, meaning that there are clear lines emphasized in the paintings.
Further, one needs to spot the differences between the two artworks in order to see how the High Renaissance and Baroque styles are not similar. It is possible to state that one of the key differences is that bright and vivid colors are used in Madonna of the Meadow, while in Judith Slaying Holofernes, the color scheme is dark and dim, with only blue, red, and yellow used to highlight the contrast between the figures. Next, while there are orientations in both artworks, as mentioned earlier, these orientations still differ. Thus, horizontal and vertical lines are found in Raphael’s painting, creating a pyramidal structure, and highly angular ones can be identified in Gentileschi’s work (Italian Renaissance, n.d.). Finally, there is more natural light in Madonna of the Meadow, but in the other painting, one may see how a technique of Baroque art is used. To be more precise, in Gentileschi’s artwork, there is a high contrast between dark and light areas, which makes the picture dynamic and highlights the calmness of Raphael’s work.
Reference
Italian Renaissance. (n.d.). Raphael’s Madonna in the Meadow. Web.