in this class, we talked about different altarpieces. We talked about the iconography of the Entombment of Jesus. In Robert Campins’ Entombment Triptch, there is an overflow of emotions. There are angels and Mary who are displaying a lot of emotions. It is interesting how in the painting, the landscape unifies the painting, like telling a story. In Rogier van der Weydans’ painting, Entombment, you can see how Mary’s positions reflects the position of Jesus. It is as if she can feel Jesus pain and empathy toward him. Both, Mary and Jesus, are very similar from the body placement to their hand placement. In this painting, Rogier is breaking symmetry and making the viewer see this picture. What I mean by this is that he is not displaying anything else before and after Jesus death, he puts the people in this coffin like space and we see the death of Jesus. It is interesting to see the difference between frescos and oil painting because we get to see more details and it gives the artist more to say.

During class today, we talked a bit more on the Isenheim Altarpiece and the inner panels that consisted of sculptures, a depiction of St. Anthony meeting Hermit Paul, and the Temptation of St. Anthony. The temptation was a fantastical scene with numerous hybrid creatures and had a note that could be read. All of this was for the patients at the monastery because they wanted to show that the devil will target people that are about to die and tempt them to commit sins since they won’t have time to redeem themselves but St. Anthony is a figure that can help in fighting temptations.

We also discussed the Altar of Holy Blood that was different from other altarpieces in the sense that it was completely carved as well as contain a relic. One interesting part of this altar was the carpenter that helped make the frame for this piece because he ended up getting paid more than the artist himself.

Another altarpiece we talked about was The Entombment by Raphael. This one in particular stood out because of the composition that allowed for a greater sense of movement to be felt. Having the composition he did helped his piece look more dramatic in both the expressions and the overall sense of motion which to me was a crucial part to what made his piece stand out.

One of the most interesting parts of our discussion on 10/5 was our conversation of the Portinari Altarpiece. It was intriguing to explore the connections between Judaism and Christianity and made me want to deeply read into anti-semitism in renaissance art. As we dove into our conversation about the allusions between translucency (the vase) and the Virgin Mary’s virginity while having a child, I began to wonder the other allusions that may’ve occurred in the piece. I especially appreciate the the connection made between this piece and the donkey and the ox in the other panel.

Today, we discussed the Isenheim Altarpiece. What interested me about the piece was the representation of current affairs. The altarpiece was built in 1513, during a time of great plague. Christ, therefore, is depicted with gross, disease-like skin. His foot is also riddled with ergotism, a common disease in the 16th century. The theme of realism in Northern Art, and its relation to modern affairs continue to be prominent.

In the class we discussed different depictions of Virgin Mary and the way that artists shifted the way of painting. We noticed how the paintings became volumetric, giving them a more naturalistic, true to life style. What I found specifically interested is how the artists used the supposed viewer’s knowledge of religious content to lead through the panels in a boustrophedon way. One usually thinks of rigidity when talking about religious art, so it always excites me to see how artists managed to be innovative and creative while heavily directed at the same time. It made me think of my exhibition and its possible options. How do I want to use the viewer’s context in order to lead them through the exhibition?

In class, we discussed how disease was represented in art. Specifically, we talked about ergotism and its importance in the Antonite monk order. The disease’s brutality and the lack of medicine led many to view illness as punishment from God. For instance, we discussed the old depiction of the Plague as God shooting arrows at the sick. The portrayal of St Sebastian in the altarpiece was viewed not only as a work of art, but as an object of prayer. Similarly, the skin of Christ is depicted as green and sickly, reminding the viewer of the pain and suffering not only of Jesus, but of those suffering from disease.

I thought that the note at the bottom of the painting of the Temptation of Saint Anthony was particularly notable. It reads “ where were you, why did you not appear at once to spare me these moments?” This was meant to be representative of the final thoughts of the patients at the monastery who were suffering from skin disease. I found this interesting because it appears on a religious altarpiece, and this statement seems to question God. It was unusual at the time to question the workings of God, especially in a religious work of art.

However, this statement is not directly a disparagement of God. Instead, it is a warning against succumbing to temptation to question God. We see the note as serving the purpose of showing patients how to resist temptations on their death bed, not question God as they lay dying.

Simply put, today was a graphic class. We examined photos and an artistic portrayal of ergotism. Side effects of ergotism include feet and limbs turning black while becoming exceedingly painful with death following. Such a grim situation was paid homage in an altarpiece from modern day France. The subject was St Sebastian who is an icon for suffering after he was brutally tortured by the Romans for converting to Christianity. I really enjoyed this altarpiece because it reminded me of the importance of historical context and how we can connect to the past over shared experiences. Specifically, with all this disease and plague talk, I was reminded of the Covid-19 pandemic. I wonder in my exhibition if I can effectively make a connection between present times and past to heighten the viewer’s engagement with the art. 

Entombment by Rogier van der Weyden stood out most for me. I enjoyed seeing the expression in the faces of the people depicted and find it curious to observe this change from earlier Renaissance and Middle Age paintings. Specifically, Mary is grieving the death of her son and has a grave emotion on her face. Her sadness is reminiscent of her once existing passion she had for her son. Earlier works seemed to have less emotion, especially when it came to background characters, so I like seeing this shift. Thinking about my last reflection, I thought a lot about focal points, and in art, I enjoy when my eye is grabbing to the work initially and then is allowed to wander with equal fascination. 

In this class the stark differences between Matthias Grünewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece and other works we have seen presented a new view of how that type of art affected those who viewed it. Its practical purpose in the monastery’s healing program clearly influenced the artist to tailor the altarpiece towards the people who would view it. The three-layer composition is unlike anything we have seen so far, allowing for a gradual reveal of the splendor inside as a patient advanced in their theological treatment. The work does not focus on conveying a story but instead on conveying feelings through iconography and exaggerated expressions. St. Anthony’s fire is reflected in a grotesque depiction of the crucifixion, with Christ’s skin gangrenous and pierced. This would have drawn sufferers to the piece, with St. Anthony and St. Sebastian representing the desired salvation from the disease and Christ the connection between the human world and the release of Heaven. Grünewald’s use of unnatural expression would have pulled patients to the altarpiece in a way none we have seen so far could.