123 School Work

Master of the Bigallo Crucifix compared to Taddeo di Bartolo The Crucifixion

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  Master of the Bigallo Crucifix compared to Taddeo di Bartolo, The Crucifixion
  
  
  Taddeo du Bartolo and the Bigallo Master produced works that were suited to their task. The Bigallo Crucifix and the Bartolo Crucifixion both served as altarpieces and were therefore seen at every mass. In serving such an important role, it was necessary for these works to art to convey a sense of holiness and connect to the spectator on an emotional level. As a generation passed, new ways of conveying Christ's suffering and resurrection appeared, yet many of the earlier principles stayed the same. More specifically, The Crucifixion by Taddeo di Bartolo and the Bigallo Crucifix represent the transition from the Byzantine painting of the 13th century to the more lifelike renaissance paintings of the 14th Century and beyond. The 14th century Italian school of painting owes its origin to the influence of Byzantine art, but it improved that art and impressed it with its own unique influence, especially in the characteristics of color and expression.
       Byzantine art was characterized by linearity in shapes and figures including simplified vertical folds in the drapery, subtle emotions expressed in the eyes and face and in the richness of the materials, especially the lavish use of gold.1 As you can see from the Crucifix and from The Crucifixion, both artists seemed to be influenced by this style, yet the Master of Bigallo even more so. Despite this, the Bigallo Crucifix also shows the smoothness and warm tones typical of much Florentine 14th century painting, perhaps signifying the up-and-coming trends that characterize Bartolo's Crucifixion. The suggested date of the Bigallo Crucifix is 1260 while that of Bartolo's Crucifixion is 1401...