For this essay, I’m comparing and contrasting Raphael’s Small Cowper Madonna to the Virgin and Child from Saint-Denis. Both pieces are a representation of the love and care Mary had for Jesus. There are some obvious differences between the two works. One is the medium the works are created on or with. The Virgin and Child from Saint-Denis is a silver-gilt image, while Raphael’s Small Cowper Madonna is oil on a wood panel. Raphael uses brilliant colors as well as courtly and playful poses (influenced by Perugino), which is much different from the single color found on the Virgin and Child from Saint-Denis. The line work of the two pieces is different as well. In the Virgin and Child from Saint-Denis, the lines are sweeping across the figures. This is also used in Raphael’s piece, but he uses more subtle lines to separate the images.
Another major difference is Raphael’s intentions of creating…show more content… He shows their human nature by the small twist the Child is making as well as the affectionate relationship the two figures have with one another. He is showing that it is the Virgin and Child by having a very subtle halo around the figures. Combining these two ideas shows that Raphael is trying to depict them more as humans than as saints.
In the Virgin and Child from Saint-Denis, one can see some typical features of the Gothic period. One can see the delicate treatment of the face and garments as well as the popular Gothic sway. One can also see the affectionate bond between the mother and child. The child is lightly caressing his mother’s chin, which gives the image a human feel. I think this allows the viewer to relate to the image and understand the relationship between a mother and child. I also think that this allows the viewer to see how human the Virgin and Child are.
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