In class on 2/21 we continued learning about Italian art in the 15th century. We began with learning some background information on Masaccio and his path toward being a master artist. We spent a large chunk of time discussing Masaccio’s frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel, specifically the Tribute Money frame. I really appreciate how in-depth we go when discussing particular works, spending 15 minutes on a particular work of art, and dissecting all the important elements. In the case of Tribute Money, we talked about how the particular subject matter reflected knowledge of the bible and how Masaccio applies a continuous narrative. Continuous narrative is when the same figure is presented multiple times (and at different times) in a scene. In the case of Tribute Money, Peter is depicted three times, which allows Masaccio to tell the progression of the story of the tax collector in one frame. I enjoyed learning about how Masaccio presented the holy trinity in the scene with the tomb. The spacing and placement of the characters were particularly interesting, as they signaled the hierarchy that the characters fall into. We ended class by starting to talk about furnishings, which we will continue to learn about this afternoon.