Art

In the 15th century, art was experiencing a religious renaissance in Europe.  This rebirth was founded essentially in the theological, philosophical, and humanistic teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.  By taking a look at two pieces of art, Jan van Eycks Ghent Altarpiece, Saint Bravo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium (1432) and Masaccios Holy Trinity, Santa Maria Novella, Florence, Italy (1428), one is able to discern the meaning and intention of each artist in regard to the relationship between mortal and divine spheres of existence.  Although both artists are capturing the significance of God in the life of man, Jan van Eyck and Masaccio certainly differ in their artistic expression.  While Jan van Eycks concentration is more centered on modest hierarchy, Masaccio creates a gentler composition and more pastoral scene.  By comparing elements of both works of art, one is able to discern the similarities and differences between Jan van Eycks Ghent Altarpiece and the Masaccios Holy Trinity.

Contextual Scene
In the contextual scenes of both works of art, one notices the similarity of both works in expressing the relationship of God to man, yet the Ghent Altarpiece evokes a sense of stark and simplistic atmosphere while the Holy Trinity exudes a deeper sense of beauty and sensitivity.  In its scenery, the Ghent Altarpiece is minimal and bare.  The background consists of an indoor scene with Roman columns and an archway, devoid of much color aside from some simple reds and blues most noticeable in the clothing of the subjects.  In the context of the Holy Trinity, there is a soft, detailed, and interactive scene including a pastoral landscape, worshippers, and even Adam and Eve.  The use of color in this painting is very rich and diverse, the artist using a full spectrum to create his scene, yet there is also a similarity to the Ghent altarpiece in the artists use of warm red and dark blue for the clothing of the subjects.  The contexts of both paintings call attention to the ways in which atmospheres are set to pay tribute to the relationship between God and man, yet are more interactive and beautiful in the Holy Trinity painting.

Subject Placement
The placement of the subjects within the painting is an important aspect of considering the meaning of a piece of religious art, and both the Ghent Altarpiece and the Holy Trinity use the placement of subjects to tell a story about the relationship of God to man.  In the Ghent Altarpiece, God the Father is looming above all others and the crucified Jesus.  Below Jesus is Mary and Saint John the Baptist, Mary to his right and Saint John to his left.  Further below are the married couple Cardoni, the purchasers of the fresco, with the husband to the right of Jesus and the wife to the left.  In the Holy Trinity painting, God the Father is seated enthroned with Mary and Saint John the Baptist seated only slightly below him to his right and left.  To the right of Mary is Adam and to the left of Saint John is Eve.  Below this upper level is a lower level depicting the sun, the Holy Spirit, descending down onto the Lamb of God in the pastoral scene.  Subject placement in both paintings is highly significant, because it resonates a sense of the order of things.  Here, the subjects placed in the upper, central levels of each painting are represented with a certain kind of significance in being more powerful or preceding others.

Masculine Leadership
When comparing the two paintings, it is also important to consider the traditional idea of male leadership when viewing the Ghent Altarpiece and the Holy Trinity.  In the Ghent Altarpiece, the placement of the subjects within the painting most certainly calls attention to male leadership in the sense of God the Father being placed above Jesus, Jesus above Mary and Saint John, and Mary and Saint John above the Cardoni couple.  However, one must also wonder about the use of color.  The colors are significant, because they call attention to the traditional masculine red and the feminine blue.  It is interesting that the feminine blue is not seen solely on the right side of the Father, as Mary is traditionally seated at the right hand of the Father and Jesus.  Blue is located on the left side of the clothes of God the Father, from his perspective, and also on the left side of the painting in the clothes of the Cardoni wife.  The changeability between sides leads to a distinct ambivalence about male and female dominance.  In the Holy Trinity painting, the traditional hierarchy is not as noticeable.  Although God the Father is placed at the greatest height in the center of the painting, it is interesting that Mary and Saint John, even Adam and Eve, are seated above Jesus depicted as the pastoral lamb.  Perhaps this difference is related not to dominance but to precedence, as Adam, Eve, Mary, and Saint John were all born before Jesus.  In regard to the colors, the masculine red and the feminine blue, the Holy Trinity painting is traditional in the sense that God the Father is clothed in red and Mary in blue, however, the musician to the left side of the Father is clothed in blue and the reader to the right side of Mary is clothed in red, lending a slight disruption to the traditional color scheme.

Conclusion
In comparing the Ghent Altarpiece and the Holy Trinity painting, it is important to consider all elements of each piece and to relate them to one another and the differing perspectives of the time.  Religious art is almost always complex and relating to a certain story and point of view.  By paying attention to elements such as the contextual scene, subject placement, and masculine leadership, one is able to draw conclusions about the particular views of the artist and the message contained in the image of the painting.  The Ghent Altarpiece, although traditional and stark, breaks new ground in its color scheme and subject placement, and the Holy Trinity, beautiful and pastoral, breaks new ground in its emphasis on time and precedence.  The new ideas about religion and the relationship between God and man are told through the minute yet detailed messages contained within each interactive Renaissance painting.