Art History of Egyptian Painting Style Term Paper

Art History of Egyptian Painting Style - Term Paper Example In the Justinian mosaic, King Justinian is seen to be wearing the same imperial robes as Jesus Christ. The point of the mosaic is to evidently depict Justinian as Christ's envoy on earth, and to show him as a creditable successor to Constantine. This depicts his power both in the State as well as the Church. Justinian is seen in the main altar of the church, the most holy part, further depicting his authority. Justinian, thus, exercises his power over the priest, perhaps even signifying his holiness, which is seen through the halo. Giotto’s works exhibited a different spirit of realism. He broke away from Byzantine art.   His was a more personal and realistic way of viewing a painting. His concern was more human emotion and dramatic art. To make the latter more effective, Giotto placed his figures in space more practically conceived than painters before him. Also, he used shadows more efficiently to generate a sense of the figures. In the Madonna Enthroned Giotto produced depth by layering the attendant angels, with the angels in the fore blocking the vision of the angels behind. Leonardo’s stylistic innovations are more apparent in The Last Supper, in which he re-fashioned a conventional theme in a completely new way. He groups the apostles in units of three framing Christ in the center. Christ is calm while the others are gesturing animatedly. Through the weightiness of the figures and the magnitude of the scene, Leonardo da Vinci reintroduced a style founded a generation earlier by Masaccio. The Mona Lisa, easily Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous work, is known for the mastery of technical innovations as well as the mysteriousness of its celebrated smiling subject. Sfumato and chiaroscuro are evident here. Leonardo da Vinci is a master of both. Sfumato (smoked) is a deftly atmospheric haze or effect produced by delicate transitions between areas of color. This technique is particularly evident in the delicate gauzy robes worn by the subject and in her mysterious smile. Chiaroscuro (light and dark) is the skill of modeling and defining forms by the use of contrasts between shadow and light.