Comparing Masaccio's Temptation Of Adam And Eve

As discussed by Kloss ( ), the Temptation of Adam and Eve, by Masolino (1424-25) and the Expulsion of Adam and Eve, by Masaccio (1425-28) are two of the frescoes in a series commissioned by the wealthy silk merchant, Felice Brancacci in the Brancacci Chapel, in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence. The subject matter of the cycle is the life of Saint Peter, speculatively as honoring the first Pope, Peter and “significantly, this family chapel had been founded in the late fourteenth century by Piero Brancacci, Piero, "Peter" and dedicated to his patron saint, Peter” (Kloss, L13, 7:07). The context is reflective and symbolic of papal dominance and Florentine life in the early fifteenth century during the time of “constant
Well, the contrast, it couldn't be greater. It's remarkable stylistically and emotionally and it deserves our close attention” (L13, 931). Kloss points out how the giornata (Italian for “a day's work") is noticeable; referring to the time it takes the plaster to dry (one day) and calculates by the markings, that it took about four days to complete. Differential to Masolino’s Adam and Eve, emotion is depicted in great detail by Masaccio, Kloss describes Masaccio’s painting: “The way that these figures express their being cast out of Paradise is memorable and beyond memorable. Eve throws her head up in a kind of wailing attitude while she covers her nakedness. Adam just throws his hands over his head. By the way, they both are blinded, in the sense her eyes are closed; if you look closely they're just slits and his are covered”(L 13, 10:07). Masaccio’s broader and bolder style easily relayed the emotional turmoil of the situation. Giotto’s influence is recognizable in Masaccio’s sense of light and linear perspective adding dimension extending into the viewer’s space which also differentiated the two artist’s interpretive