Analysis Essay on Coronation of the Virgin

Ian Hok
Williams
ARH1000
23 June 2013
Analysis on Coronation of the Virgin Art can provoke powerful meanings and appeal to all senses of those viewing it. There can be hidden meanings derived from masterpieces that can make even high intellectuals ponder. Some artworks can have such a tremendous impact on society that it can last through the ages. The common saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” certainly holds true to the wonderful gems of the history of art. But one can only begin to truly appreciate artwork by breaking down the components and techniques that the artist fabricates. An intensive analysis of Enguerrand Quarton’s Coronation of the Virgin will expose wonders to the human eye. Upon first glance, one can see that this piece of art has a religious significance. Holiness appears to be overlooking a tremendous event occurring below. The lower portion is split between normal people on the left and evil beings on the right. A split between the two is a crucifixion with a man kneeling beside. This gives an appearance of the struggle against evil. Beyond the mob, there are two cities on the right and left with a scenic landscape in the background. Many can achieve the same general observation, but a deeper analysis can give a more in depth look at the art itself. In art, color can act as a language. Different colors can convey emotions, set the mood, and emphasize certain objects. In short, color is major aspect of an artwork. Looking at some of the faces in this artwork, the appearance is smooth and three dimensional. Quarton used the technique of modeling. By implementing shading and tinting in certain areas, he successfully brought the artwork to life. Unlike some restricted palettes of other artworks, this painting is polychromatic and uses many colors to depict certain meanings. On the lower right side, red and other warmer colors dominate to provide an evil look to the creatures. Green dominates the landscape to give a beautiful and healthy nature. The many colored robes of the people above provide simultaneous contrast to make them quite noticeable. The red and gold clothing signifies royalty, good, and a majestic touch. Quarton’s open palette allows him to demonstrate feeling and emotion in all corners of his work. Some people view art as only a splash of color that is appealing solely to the eye. But this is not the case. Some artworks even have architectural characteristics. This emphasis on design can bring up many hidden meanings and allow a deeper experience with a work of art. For instance, an imaginary line can be drawn down the center of the artwork and something magical will be revealed. The overall work of art will seem to be reflective on both sides of the line. This procedure can discover if an artwork is symmetrical or not. In Quarton’s painting, there are minor differences among both sides but overall the entire painting is symmetrical. This gives the artwork bilateral symmetry instead of absolute symmetry. The different sizes of objects in a painting can affect the balance, weight, scale, and proportion of all aspects within the work. Here, all of the figures above are tremendous in size; giving them a larger than life appearance. This shows that they are above the beings below them and, given the religious significance, that they are more pure of heart than their counterparts. Given their size, their visual weight appears to be much heavier than any other entity in the painting. But considering that they are suspended in the air, they may not be as heavy as they appear. Their proportion shifts the overall balance of the painting more towards them, giving an additional importance to the meaning of the artwork. Despite the tremendous amount of occurrences in the painting, all eyes are drawn to the centered figure. She is the focal point of the entire painting due to the many factors of symmetry, scale, and proportion. Even though each person on the sides of the painting have details that contribute to their individuality, an overall outlook on the entire painting shows that they are ordered in repetition. This gives them a sense of unity over their individual variety and connects them in a holier sense. Paying attention to these details of design show much more meaning than at first glance. All artists begin with a vast amount of space on whatever medium they choose. Their ability to create, change, and manipulate this space is what sets them out from the others. But no matter if the canvas is completely covered with color and connected with different designs, there will always be space left within the artwork. It is here where the Coronation of the Virgin truly shows its artfully crafted traits. The small appearance of the mountains in the background shows a use of diminution of scale. Although mountains are far larger when compared to a person, decreasing the size of a mountain can show distance in a painting. The appearance of distance is also achieved with the rock blocking the view of anything behind it (overlapping), the blur of detail of the far off mountains (atmospheric perspective), and the use of linear perspective. If a line is drawn from the top and bottoms of the buildings, the resulting lines will converge on a single point in the distance. The lines, called orthogonals, converging on a vanishing point are components of linear perspective. This drastically increases the appearance of depth within an artwork. The Coronation of the Virgin is proven to be a majestic piece of art in anyone’s eyes. But one can truly see the beautiful qualities of this masterpiece by analyzing Quarton’s use of color, design, and space. The vivid colors can provide an exhilarating language that speaks and appeals to all of the senses. The design can draw connections to the colors and provide a foundation for the artwork. With the effective use of space, every aspect of the artwork can be dramatically increased. After an in depth analysis of Quarton’s gem, one can conclude that this work nothing short of extraordinary.