Museum Artwork

-Tobias and the Angel

-Giovanni Battista Caracciolo 

-Italian, Naples 1578-1635

-Oil on canvas 

During the time of the baroque period many of the paintings used contrast as shown in  "Tobias and the Angel". Contrast which are the dark values in the background of the painting were used significantly during this era, also body movements and gestures were a big significance to the painting. Also the lighting used in contrast to the dark background darkens the mood of the painting as well as increases its dramatic scene. Both the contrast as well as the gestures intensify/increase the drama and sense of emotion in the painting. The light upon the figures with the darkened background and the bright red robe deeply express the event in which is taking place. The story of this painting states "In the apocryphal book of Tobit in the old Testament, Tobias is shown with the fish whose gail would heal his father's blindness. His companion, wearing a traveler's hat, is the archangel Raphael. Caracciolo, one of the leading figures of Neapolitan painting, combined the dramatic lighting and realism of Caravaggio's work with the balletic poses of his Mannerist training. The result is a work of uncommon elegance and expressive power, inaugurating the great age of the Baroque painting in Naples.

-Private collection

-I.2012.59

-Madonna and Child Enthroned with saints

-Raffaello Sanzi

-1504

As shown on the gallery label of this beautiful painting it says "Raphael painted this altarpiece around 1504/5 for the small Franciscan convent of Sant' Antonio in Perugia. It hung in a part of the church reserved for the nuns, who are thought to have insisted on some of its conservative features, such as the elaborately clothed Christ Child. By contrast, the grave male saints are among the earliest evidence of Raphael’s study of the work of Leonardo da Vinci and Fra Bartolomeo in Florence". Renaissance paintings were completely different from the Baroque paintings which use contrast, most renaissance paintings had more light and soft quality feel to their paintings. During the renaissance symbolism was used quite often in paintings, also a new culturally artistic term and movement called Humanism was introduced. It was the introduction of paintings that focused more on humans and their values. The body movements and gestures in this painting have a more humanism feel to it. The colors are much more bright and vivid, the halo's around their head are a bright gold as well. The formal element with the colors Red and yellow are used through out the painting to catch the eye and interest's of the audience visualizing this wonderful piece. The deep rich colors used within the painting bring out the emotions and elements of symbolism as well as humanism in this painting. This painting also has atmospheric perspective as you see in the background with the mountains and light blue sky which creates that illusion of depth feeling.