Art time again!

I love comparing things. Here's three different paintings of the same subject (Madonna Enthroned) by Italian artists in the 13th century. The first is by Cimabue.

This is mostly in that "Italo-Byzantine" style that we all know and love. I can't tell if the angels are meant to be supporting the throne. It doesn't make sense architecturally, since it's sitting on top of all those prophets and saints there at the bottom, but then, it's not terribly concerned with "real" space or physical necessities (as Eastern art often isn't). All those angels are stacked and linear and (except for two of them) looking at us. I rather think that they're drawn to the throne, like they need to touch it, and they're looking at us like, "I don't know, but I think you should come over here, too. Will you?" They've all got that stylized "inclined head" thing going on, which I take to be a kind of nudge..."don't want to do violence to your will or anything, but nudge-nudge, wink-wink, this really is the way, here." Those solid color backgrounds always kinda give me the creeps, I have to say, but of course lots of icons have that. Infinity is not comfortable, even if it is glorious and golden. It's the kind of thing you've got to be saint-ready for. Good thing there's Jesus and Mary there.

This one's by Duccio. Not as directly concerned with us, as the only one looking in our direction is the Blessed Virgin. All the angels are looking at Jesus, and Jesus seems to be blessing them. There is more attention to the architectural space here--Mary's sitting on a chair which rests on the "ground," and she turns with it, and there's that beautiful cloth behind her. All the angels are squeezed in there between the chair and the frame, no overlapping. Mary still has the head tilt. And is it just me, or does she a have a little bit of a scowl on her face like, "Just get over here, child, if you know what's good for ya."

Giotto now. Probably the most "believable" space. The chair totally closes in, there are steps leading up like she had to walk up there, and though the figures overlap on the side, there's a certain proportion to them that jives with me in a way that Cimabue's doesn't. (Not that Cimabue is inferior; I'm just talking about space.) Frankly I think the most amazing things in this painting are the two angels in green offering those gold containers and the two kneeling angels in white offering flowers. That's what's interesting as a contrast with the other two paintings as well. Jesus is looking off and giving a kind of general blessing, while the crowd offers actual gifts other than adoration, or rather, part of their adoration is the offering of actual gifts that they have (presumably) received. Casting their crowns and whatnot. All the colors are deeper as well, and everything in general feels more solid, which is interesting. It doesn't seem like it should feel that way, because there's more "empty" gold background in this than in the other two. Mary's head tilt is gone--to me that makes her more direct, like she's done playing games.

I like these kings of paintings for many reasons. One of them is that it feels like I'm being admonished to attend rather than just invited for a chit-chat. But most importantly, this thing is going on.

Also, as a sidenote: does anybody else hate Raphael's fat baby angels? Cuz I sure do.