Paper 3 - Yale University Art Gallery

On June 28th I visited the Yale Art Gallery forgetting that the “Indiana Jones” movie set was up and filming was taking place! The gallery was well worth waiting in the traffic, negotiating the detour, and walking from behind the dorms! I was impressed with their large impressionist collection as well as their modern art collection and I was pleased to see a Holbein in person as opposed to in a history or text book! I was struck by Francesco Furini’s haunting painting “Artemisia Prepares to Drink the Ashes of her Husband, Mausolus,” and awed by Guido da Siena’s 1260 altarpiece “The Crucifixion.” The one piece that I kept coming back to however, was “Virgin and Child with Saint Anne” 1495-1500. This painting was not credited to one artist, but rather to the Haarlem School. I have always been fascinated with the Renaissance and its effect on European culture, but I have typically gravitated toward art of the Italian Renaissance (of course, the greats: Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli and Da Vinci) and am not well versed in the art of the Northern Renaissance (with the exception of English art). Additionally, last semester I took the course “Renaissance and Reformation” and we spent one week on Renaissance art and I developed a desire to learn more about northern Renaissance art and was hoping to get to do so through this class. Although I’m more familiar with Italian renaissance art, as a historical fashion buff I have seen a variety of paintings from the era and have always liked Van Eyck’s work “The Arnolfini Wedding.” I was lucky enough to see it in person in London’s National Gallery two years ago and standing in front of “The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne” brought back some of the feelings I experienced in London. Although it was painted about sixty years after the “Arnolfini Wedding” it had a similar feel (especially in its coloring and style) and this kept brining me back to study it further.

“The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne” is an example of early Netherlandish (or early Renaissance) painting. This type of painting was being done during the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries and formed the bridge from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Tempera was being abandoned in favor of oil painting. This painting is no exception, as it is oil on panel. I found this to be quite different visually than oil on canvas because it gives the painting has a smoother finish overall. The brush strokes are all that bring texture to the painting, whereas to me, oil on canvas gives a painting a thicker feel. While religious figures still dominated paintings, artwork became more narrative and landscapes and scenes from everyday life were seen more frequently. While this painting is clearly religious, had it not been for its title, I would not have given it any religious significance in my mind. Landscape figures prominently, and the figures appear to be going about their daily business of work and relaxation. Only on a closer study does one notice that one of the figures in the background is actually an angel. This is quite a departure of medieval art where religious paintings were predominantly for instructional purposes and depicted religious figures clearly as such (halos, robes thrones, etc.) Even the Italian renaissance painters depicted religious figures as robed, on clouds or in other traditional surroundings, and/or with halos.

I found this painting to be very aesthetically pleasing in its use of vivid, rich colors as well as the beauty and fullness of the scenery. What stood out the most to me was the central figure’s green dress and its folds.

This visual kept bringing me back to Giovanna Arnolfini’s dress in Van Eyck’s “Arnolfini Marriage” but I truly found the background to be much more stimulating than in Van Eyck’s painting. The artist did a superb job of layering three dimensional elements into his landscape and adding interesting details to the painting which gave it the feel of a candid photograph. So much so I wished I could enter the painting myself, explore the grounds and enjoy the lovely day.

The very back of the painting depicts hills and a mountain range in the far off distance. It is painted in blue which emphasizes its distance and evokes a feeling of mysticism. Directly in front of the hills rises a walled city that houses interestingly shaped, colorful buildings that made me wonder what went on there and if it was based on a real city or just one in the artist’s imagination. In front of the city, lush green grass on rolling terrain house sheep and their shepherds who are watching over them. In front of them, an angel is speaking to an earnest man who is on his knees. In front of the wall to the city a couple is engaging in conversation. Each of these figures is animated both in their body movements and facial expressions as well as depicted so naturally it really gives you a feeling that you are catching them in mid conversation. Trees on either side are exquisitely detailed to the point of seeing individual leaves. In front of them to the left there is more interesting architecture, and a pair of men. To the right is a lovely and delicate river or pond and a peacock is perched to the right.

In the extreme forefront of the painting the central characters sit, with their garments folded naturally around them. They are the largest figures and draw appropriate attention, but they fit in seamlessly with the events and scenery in the painting. Saint Anne, is actually the focal point of this painting. She is in the process of picking a rose, perhaps taking a pause from reading the beautifully illuminated book resting on her lap. Her head is covered in a cloth that is folded quite elegantly and naturally, as is her dress. The Christ Child is happily seated on his mother’s lap and is playing with what appears to be a rattle and his mother’s sleeve! I found that to be quite touching and realistic. St. Anne, the Virgin and the Christ child all have serene and pleasant expressions on their faces, which is quite enchanting and irresistible. Even the peacock is turning to look at them! The grass surrounding them is also detailed quite exquisitely. You can see the various shaped weeds and individual blades of grass quite clearly. This helps to contribute to the realism of the painting and give the entire painting the feel as though it was a snapshot of daily life.