Masaccio: The Holy Trinity
Grunewald: The Isenheim Altarpiece (closed)
The Holy Trinity by Masaccio was done approximately 1428. It is a superb
example of Masaccio's use of space and perspective. It consists of two
levels of unequal height. Christ is represented on the top half, in a
coffered, barrel-vaulted chapel. On one side of him is the Virgin Mary, and
on the other, St. John. Christ himself is supported by God the Father, and
the Dove of the Holy Spirit rests on Christ's halo. In front of the
pilasters that enframe the chapel kneel the donors (husband and wife).
Underneath the altar (a masonry insert in the painted composition) is a
tomb. Inside the tomb is a skeleton, which may represent Adam. The
vanishing ...
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of illusionistic painting. Illusionistic painting fascinated
many artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
The proportions in this painting are so numerically exact that one can
actually calculate the numerical dimensions of the chapel in the background.
The span of the painted vault is seven feet, and the depth is nine feet.
"Thus, he achieves not only successful illusion, but a rational, metrical
coherence that, by maintaining the mathematical proportions of the surface
design, is responsible for the unity and harmony of this monumental
composition." Two principal interests are summed up by The Holy Trinity:
Realism based on observation, and the application of mathematics to
pictorial organization.
All of the figures are fully clothed, except for that of Christ himself. He
is, however, wearing a robe around his waist. The figure is "real"; it is a
good example of a human body. The rest of the figures, who are clothed, are
wearing robes. The drapery contains heavy folds ...
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"Masaccio: The Holy Trinity." Essayworld.com. May 31, 2005. Accessed June 20, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Masaccio-The-Holy-Trinity/27786.
"Masaccio: The Holy Trinity." Essayworld.com. May 31, 2005. Accessed June 20, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Masaccio-The-Holy-Trinity/27786.
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