Book we are using 

Minimum 500 words. You will have all week to complete this.

You are required to fully identify, date and describe details in the works of art to make your argument. You do not need to add illustrations. If you use any sources from the internet, you must list them at the end of the paper. I am looking for your own descriptions, observations and  opinions, not cut-and-paste from webpages. I will check key words so use extreme caution and be honest by directly quoting sources.

Close Looking- A Comparative analysis of Masaccio vs. Campin

Masaccios Holy Trinity and Rogier Campins triptych of the Merode Altarpeice were painted at about the same time. Compare and contrast them from the point of view of:

1. scale (intimate private devotion versus life-sized scale for public viewing);
2. handling of the medium (tempera vs. fresco);
3. treatment of space (domestic versus monumental, intuitive vs. measured space) and;
4. contemporary references that would affect the viewers experience

What is inconsistent about Campins definition of space, and points of view? Explain how Masaccios use of vanishing point perspective  makes his painting more of an event from the point of view of the person standing right in front of it. How do the two works reflect the different concerns of Italian and northern European artists? (obsession with textures, miniature details, and lighting effects, vs. complex and precise definition of a plausible space that appears to project in front and behind the figures)

Look at the symbolic references in each painting. Identify the disguised symbols in the everyday objects in the Merode altarpiece. Where are the patrons located in each work and how do their how similar poses reflect upon the sacredness of the scene? What is the Virgin Mary doing in each painting? Where is the holy spirit indicated in each painting? How is the sacrifice of Christ portrayed in each painting?

In each painting locate the various symbolic references to past, present, and future times, including the immaculate birth of Christ, the defeat of the devil and the inevitability of human death. Identify the various here and now details in each work that augment the reality of what is being shown to the viewer.

Compare  and contrast the various references that these artists make to the world beyond the scenes they depict? (city life, continuity with an actual chapel). Why do you think that Campin included anachronistic views outside the windows and doors in the Merode Altarpiece that do not describe ancient Bethleham? Why do you think Masaccio was so concerned with defining an architectural space behind and in front of Christ  in the Holy Trinity? How does illusionism in each work of art operate to  make it seem as if the religious vision is happening in real time and space?