Compare and contrast Annunciation (Merode Altarpiece) by Robert Campin (15th Century Northern) and Holy Trinity by Masaccio (Early Italian Renaisscnce)
15世纪的欧洲可以算是一个历史上的分水岭，它把黑暗的中古时代叫停，然后带领着人们跨进了一个全新的时代，在这个时代中艺术，哲学，科学都有很大程度上的进步。而推动这一进步的核心正是后来被人们所一直讨论的人文主义精神。人文主义精神的主旨是提倡人性，追求本我，自我。寻求现实生活中的幸福，做自己的主人。这恰恰和中世纪的教会思想相反。但讽刺的是人文主义的起源又是因为教会的黑暗控制，加上黑死病的盛行，导致了人们开始怀疑这个世界和神的存在。文艺复兴的起始点可以说是意大利。意大利可以算是欧洲的一个贸易的集中地，所以新兴此产阶级逐渐在这里壮大，而意大利又是原古罗马帝国的旧址所以保留了很多古罗马的艺术和文化典籍。文艺复兴时的人们正是研究了古希腊，古罗马的文献后重新开始看待自己和这个世界；也更加赞叹先贤们的睿智和才华。人文主义在早期只是盛行在意大利和法兰西，直到16世纪才被整个欧洲所认识。所以从地理来看文艺复兴的浪潮并没有第一时间到达这里；不过正因为距离教会和文化中心稍远，欧洲北部的艺术一直都是有自己强烈的风格的，不管是文艺复兴之前或之后。
Masaccio 可以算是早期文艺复兴时期的先驱人物，虽然他英年早逝但是他仍然给人们留下了譬如‘Virgin Mary with Pesudo-Arabic halo’, ‘The Expulsion’ and ‘Holy Trinity’ 这样的杰作。Masaccio可以算是第一个将透视法完整的运用到绘画中来的画家。大约在1427年，Masaccio为佛罗伦萨新圣母玛利亚教堂做的壁画‘Holy Trinity’正式揭幕。‘Holy Trinity’展现了圣父，圣子，圣灵三者神圣精神的融合。整幅画看上去极其的真实，就好像是在墙上掏了个洞，然后在这面墙中向大家展示上帝的伟大。Masaccio能做出这一点正是因为他是在创造一个立体的空间展现给人们。在耶稣的右手下面看着人们的是玛利亚。她手指着十字架，前面的台阶是断开的，这可以看做是一个持续的空间。而上帝背后屋顶的透视更加完善了这个整体的空间。而在十字架上的耶稣可以算是整个空间的中心，画中的所有人物都是在围绕着他。Masaccio用他的高超的自然主义手法把观众拉入了这神圣的一刻，去和故事情节中的人物合为一体。而文艺复兴所做的正是不再单单把观赏者扔到一边，而是带着他们走入画中去，去感受整个作品的氛围。
Compare and contrast Annunciation (Merode Altarpiece) by Robert Campin (15th Century Northern) and Holy Trinity by Masaccio (Early Italian Renaissance)
15th century can be regarded as a line of demarcation of European history, which ends the Middle Ages and leads human into a brand new era. During this period of time, art, philosophy and science have made progress to a great extent. The core driving force of this progress is the Humanism, which has still been long discussed so far. The gist of the Humanism is human oriented and encouragement of seeking for id and ego. It encourages us to look for happiness in real life and be our own master. However, the point is just opposite to the thought of Church in the Middle Ages. What ironical is that the Humanism originated from people’s skeptical thinking about the world and the existence of God, right because of the dark governing of Roman Churches and prevalence of the Black Plague as well.
The starting point of the Renaissance can be positioned in Italy. As a European trade center, Italy allowed the emerging bourgeoisie to grow here gradually. Again as the former site of the ancient Rome Empire, Italy also reserved a great amount of art and literature books of ancient Rome. After studying the ancient literature of Greek and Rome, people in the Renaissance time began to rethink the relationship between the world and themselves, and even more admired the wisdom and talent of the past scholars. In its early stage, Humanism was only popular in Italy and France. Until 16th century, it began to be known by the entire Europe. From the geological point of view, the tide of the Renaissance did not arrive in North Europe very early. However, far away from the Roman Churches and new literature center also allowed North Europe art to keep its unique and strong style, regardless of before or after the Renaissance.
Masaccio is a pioneer in Early Renaissance. Though he passed over early in his life, he has left masterpieces to people, such as “Virgin Mary with Pesudo-Arabic halo”, “The Expulsion” and “Holy Trinity”. Masaccio is the first artist that thoroughly applies perspective to painting. In about 1427, Masaccio formally unveiled the frescoes “Holy Trinity” in the Santa Maria Novella in Florence. “Holy Trinity” expresses the integrity of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. The entire frescoes looks impressively real, like a hole in the wall, through which to express the greatness of God.
Masaccio has successfully made this effect because he is trying to build a three-dimensional display space to people. It is Maria that painted under Jesus’s right hand looking at people. She points at the cross with broken stairs in the front, which can be viewed as a prolonged space. Moreover, the perspective of roof behind the Holy God further completes the whole space. Jesus on the cross is the center of the entire painting space, surrounded by everything in the painting. Masaccio takes full advantage of his excellent naturalistic painting skill, which involves the audience into this holy moment and integrates the audience, environment with the story. This is the focus of the Renaissance, which leads audience to walk into the painting and feel the pure atmosphere of the work, rather than leaves the audience alone.
