Art Exhibition - Essay Example

Art Exhibition Art Exhibition Introduction The renaissance and proto-renaissance period introduced a diverse culture in the Westernand Eastern European communities. The culture determined the use of different theories and philosophies other than theology. It is evident that the Italian community shifted its interests to the secularism philosophies in the 15th century. Such a culture was incremental to the artistic movement as it influenced the birth of the “speaking statues”. Further, the Florentine culture of art evolved and the sculptors developed honorable artifacts in acknowledgement of distinct social icons at the age. The most renowned statues from the era include the Donatello and Nanni sculptures (Burgio, Clark, & Hark, 2010). Both masterpieces are held at the Museo dell’Opera de Muomo exhibition. The study seeks to implement the visual description of the sculptures as seen in the exhibition with a contextual inclusion of sculptural production in the Florentine Age of the 15th century. A detailed visual description of the sculptures The Sculpture of Donatello The renowned sculpture of Donatello remains an uncontested artifact of the period because of its unique inclusion of proportion in a rather hard to shape material. The 1418 sculpture depicts a biblical version of the events surrounding Isaac’s sacrifice. The sculptor engaged in the use of marble, and it is apparent that his knowledge in the field compelled his conclusion that he would deliver an exemplary artwork in the end. Arguably, the sculptor developed a theological concept prior to the beginning of the work; hence, the evidence shown in the sculptures facial expressions depicts the application of “scientific naturalism” (Long, 2013). The prevailing evidence from the visual surveillance inclines knowledge to a contemporary viewer that the use of grey almost brown colors emerges from the philosophical freedom held by the sculptor during the Florentine culture. While at the exhibition, a viewer could define the emotional expressions shown in the sculpture of Donatello on Isaac’s sacrifice. Such credentials declare the fury that Abraham felt once ordered by God to honor him through sacrificing his only child. In the contemporary culture, a viewer would agree with the sculptor’s perspective in developing the 191-centimeters’ tall sculpture. The taller figure of the sculpture seems to dominate the smaller one who is in a kneeling position (Burgio, Clark, & Hark, 2010). The rust-brown sculpture depicts a Biblical expression that the sacrifice was to accord God’s will as the taller figure looks upwards while holding a knife on the smaller figure’s neck. The sculpture of St Luke the Evangelist Nanni di Banco is another sculptor whose influence in the Florentine Age influenced the succeeding population of artists and audiences in the European and global societies. After visiting the museum’s exhibition, one would readily approve expertise on viewing the marble art piece. Precisely, the artwork comprises a dimension of 208 centimeters; hence, the sculptor used the approach to deliver proportion throughout the course (Long, 2013). The sculpture of St Luke of the 1408 depicts the use of natural secularism and scientific cultures. It is evident that the ancient community did not have pictorial information of the exact facial or other body attributes of St Luke (Shaw, 2014). Therefore, the sculptor’s work on the evangelist emerged from the philosophical freedom held in the Florentine community. Studies indicate that the community benefited from constitutionalism and other philosophies, which gained recognition later in the 16 and 17th centuries. In description of the sculpture, an audience would assert that the artistic professional culture of the period influenced the level of competence shown in the artifact. The sculpture comprises a light-brown gown that denotes the religious nature of the figure. Further, the development includes a chair at the background, which the figure sits with his right hand settled on his lap. Further visual evidence denotes that the left-hand holds a piece of dark-grey marble. Apparently, Nanni di Banco excelled in the marble artwork as the sculpture can readily be acknowledged by any visitor at the gallery as one developed in honor of a religious individual. The context of sculptural production in the 15th century The historical contextualization of the Florentine Speaking Statues delivers knowledge to the modern and contemporary societies’ cultures that there existed a period of development in several stages. The cultures that preceded the Florentine Age included the proto-renaissance and Byzantine cultures. It is arguable that the Byzantine and Constantine empires based their literatures in the carving of busts and statues. The evidence shown in the ruins of Hagia Sofia are among the common instruments, which influenced the succeeding sculptors in the Florentine community (Burgio, Clark, & Hark, 2010). It is known through a critical investigation that the Florentine community was a monarchy, which implemented different theories to constitutionalize and distribute knowledge to the population. Precisely, the community remains significant to the establishment of the enlightenment culture in the 16th and 17th centuries. The fact that the two sculptures depicted spiritual and religious icons indicates the prevalence of theological and secularism cultures in the period (Shaw, 2014). Further, the evidence shown in the sculptures declares the possibility that the political and religious systems defined distinct instruments in a likely manner. For example, the systems allowed for constitutionalism in art such that the artists were capable of developing their work based on their individual perceptions of the intended success (Burgio, Clark, & Hark, 2010). Secondly, the fact that the religious leaders did not react towards the sculptural productions of preceding icons declares the prevailing coordination in the two groups. Conclusion It is evident that the contributions of Nanni and Donatello emerged from the availability of resources in the completion and remuneration of their efforts. Further, audiences could perceive the society’s value for monetary instruments concerning the material used in the major sculptures. In comparing the two sculptures with others in other exhibitions from the same age, an artist would agree with the argument that the Florentine community valued marble and its use was restricted to important items only (Long, 2013). In conclusion, the sculpture of Isaac’s sacrifice and that of St. Luke depict similarities in the use of rare marble. Other similarities are evident in the facial and emotional attributes provided in the sculptures’ faces. Lastly, the artistic culture of the Florentine community remains crucial in the provision of knowledge from the ancient religious practices and the Biblical contexts. References Burgio, L., Clark, R. J., & Hark, R. R. (2010). Raman microscopy and x-ray fluorescence analysis of pigments on medieval and Renaissance Italian manuscript cuttings. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(13), 5726-5731. Long, J. C. (2013). Dangerous Women: Observations on the Feast of Herod in Florentine Art of the Early Renaissance. Renaissance Quarterly, 66(4), 1153-1205. Shaw, J. E. (2014). Tim Carter and Richard A. Goldthwaite. Orpheus in the Marketplace: Jacopo Peri and the Economy of Late Renaissance Florence. The American Historical Review, 119(5), 1795-1795. Read More