In this class, we first discussed the Portinari Altarpiece. One thing that stood out to me was that the virgin was represented by the glass or a beam of light, implying “light can go through glass without changing it, so the virgin can get pregnant without not being virgin anymore”. Such an explanation for the virginity of the virgin is not convincing, but it’s still interesting to see how the ancient try their best to justify their religious legends. The demon lurking in the dark is also interesting, as it takes people centuries to discover that, and even now when I was told that there’s a demon, it was hard to find out easily. I was totally amazed by the great craftsmanship of the artist and their skills in detail. I also like the structure of this piece, which has scenes in the background that reminded people of what was happened in the story, like the virgin was pregnant on her traveling way. This kind of design made me feel like I was reading a story, which was much more vivid and impressive than simply a picture.
Then we moved on to the Isenheim Altarpiece, and what left me a great impression was how the sickness of Jesus was depicted in the piece. Jesus here was already dead with twisty ankles, worn cloth, and morbid skin, which related to ergotism many followers got during that time. Instead of being narrative as the Portinari Altarpiece, this one was more impressive and was trying to send a message to the followers, who came to pray for their skin disease, that they would reobtain a healthy body just like the resurgence of Jesus. Those uncomfortable depictions created a gruesome atmosphere and also a sense of resonance with the patients, revealing the religious function it possessed.