Virgin And Child

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Virgin and child is a very popular subject in Christian art. A very early depiction is the Virgin and Child with Saints and Angels found at the Monastery of St. Catherine, Mount Sinai, Egypt from the sixth century. Compared to the detail of the right wing of the Melun Diptych Virgin and Child created by Jean Fouquet during 1450, found at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium. These two pieces of art are different but are sending a very strong similar message. They both convey the importance of the Virgin Mary, she is shown as a nurturing mother in the two pieces and they make her into the symbol that gave birth to the religion itself. The icon Virgin and Child with Saints and Angels from Mount Sinai, Egypt has survived the iconoclastic period of the Byzantine empire. This icon was created to help people meditate or pray. There is some attempt at realism and three dimensions with the shading and folds in the clothing. I also think that the people themselves are much more proportioned than other figures we see made during this time, although the mother is larger than the others, and the eyes are enlarged on all figures. The thing that seems to make the figures the most flat is that they’re all at the same level. The heads are all in a perfect line, and so are the feet. There is also very limited colors, it looks very basic. This icon is a representation of the Virgin Mary enthroned supporting her child, Jesus Christ in her lap. She slightly larger than the other adult figure which shows her as powerful. Also, this shows that she is in a way a mediator between repentant worshipers and her son, which is the son of God. She is sitting on a throne made of gold and jewels, which appear to be pearls. This also shows her power but in a different light, this power can be perceived in the same way as a queen would have power. This shows that she a
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