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Fra Filippo Lippi's

Madonna and Child with Scenes from the Life of        

 Saint Anne

                                                                                                                                                                                            Fra Filippo Lippi

                                                                                                                                                 http://school.eb.com/all/comptons/art-59157 articleTypeId=31

                              Masaccio                

 http://www.fidolini.it/images/libro_masaccio.jpg  

                                                    Palazzo Pitti

                        http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/3117.html

                                                                                   Madonna and Child with Scenes from the Life of Saint Anne

                                                                                        http://www.utm.edu/research/nvsa/browning/flllife.jpg

     Madonna and Child with Scenes from the Life of Saint Anne shows the three main characteristics of Renaissance art: Classical balance, harmony, and restraint.4  Through these characteristics, individualism, humanism, and secularism emerge as the most important values of the Renaissance era.

     Lippi’s Madonna and Child with Scenes from the Life of Saint Anne shows Classical balance through the symmetry of the piece.  For example, six people stand to the right of the Madonna and Child, and exactly six people are situated to the left of the Madonna and Child.  Secondly, every face in this painting maintains a symmetrical balance.  For instance, “As the mother of God, she is extremely beautiful, flawless, absorbed, contemplative, [and] reflective.”5  Lastly, the piece is set in tondo form, or a circular form, which is the best example of a symmetric shape.  The harmony of this piece is undeniable.  The familiar, domestic environment unifies each of the piece’s scenes; to the left of the Madonna and Child, Saint Anne has just given birth to Saint Mary, to the right of the Madonna and Child a pregnant woman is accompanied by a playful child, and on the stairs of the piece Saint Anne greats her husband Joachim.  Finally, Lippi shows such restraint in his painting, especially on the walls, that Madonna and Child with Scenes from the Life of Saint Anne appears to be a typical house with the presence of celestials.

       Individualism stressed personality, uniqueness, and the maximum achievement of a person’s talents and capabilities.6  Lippi demonstrates personality through the postures and facial expressions of his characters.  Every person’s posture is relaxed and carefree, and differs from his neighbor’s.  The baby Jesus’ face seems sweet and lively whereas his mother’s face contains sorrow.  Some historians have interpreted this sorrow as a premonition that foreshadows Jesus’ suffering.7  The uniqueness of an individual is shown by Lippi’s adoration of the Madonna, Child, Saint Anne, and the baby Mary.  He placed transparent haloes on top of these characters’ heads.  “Usually a religious subject such as this would be laced against a heavily gilded background, signifying an unearthly, spiritual realm, such as heaven, and the Madonna would be seated on an ornate throne.  Here Lippi refers to this by showing the carved back and arm of the chair on which the Virgin is sitting in her home.”8  To further instigate the uniqueness of the Madonna and Child, Lippi painted them as the focal point of the piece.  The maximum achievement of a person’s capabilities and talents are shown by Saint Anne’s expression after giving birth to the baby Mary.  Saint Anne appears exhausted, but has delivered to the world the best mortal woman, the Virgin Mary. 

     Humanism was the revival of the Greco-Roman culture, and focused primarily on humans.  The Greek influence of this painting is present in the perfection of the bodies: symmetric, gentle, and beautiful.  This painting appeals to the human eye because the saints have human-like characteristics.  “…Fra Filippo’s most enduring legacy is the richness and subtlety of human character in these stories, combining grandeur of scale with intimacy of feeling, unequaled in their time and esteemed by generations of painters.”9  The architecture in the painting blends Renaissance and Roman approach.  In this picture one can witness the Renaissance high ceilings, pointing towards the heavens, and the Roman arches seen under the stairs. 

     Secularism was the concern with the material world, and the basic idea of seeking fulfillment now, not waiting for heaven.10  The materialistic view of Renaissance society is shown through the frilly robes, and bonnets the women wear, the heavy drapes in the background, the designs on the floor, and the expensive pomegranate seeds Jesus holds.  Seeking daily fulfillment presents itself in the careless, playful attitude of the piece; no one appears rigid or serious.  Everyone is smiling, laughing, and stand in relaxed positions.

                                                                                        Masaccio's Madonna and Child Enthroned

                                                                                                    http://images.ask.com/fr?q=masaccio's+madonna+and+child&desturi=http://www.theatre.ubc.ca/fedoruk/perspective/7.htm&fm=i&ac=10&ftURI=http://images.ask.com/fr?q=masaccio%                                                                                  27s+madonna+and+child&desturi=http%3A%2F%2F

     In the evolution of Renaissance art, Lippi advanced Masaccio’s ideas to form his own.  For example, Masaccio’s The Virgin and Child (1426) shows the beginnings of Renaissance art.  In this painting Gothic pointed arches frame the piece, but the arches in Lippi’s Madonna and Child with Scenes from the Life of Saint Anne depict Roman arches, common in Renaissance art.  Secondly, Masaccio’s haloes in his piece are solid, whereas Lippi’s haloes are transparent.  Penultimate, Masaccio’s faces appear fuller and less appealing to the human eye, but Lippi takes Masaccio’s approach and makes his faces skinnier and prettier.  Lastly, the throne present in Masaccio’s painting presents a bulkier older throne, whereas Lippi’s throne is more elegantly decorated.  What Lippi didn’t develop in his Madonna and Child with Scenes from the Life of Saint Anne was the realism aspect present in many Renaissance paintings.

     The Renaissance period was a time of revival and rebirth.  It brought about new advances in the art world.  Fra Filippo Lippi contributed to the art world through his combination with color and his inventive idea of a Madonna and Child tondo piece.  This piece, characterized by Classical balance, harmony, and restraint, brought about individualism, humanism, and secularism, which derive from the Greco-Roman culture. 

                                                                                              Filippino Lippi, son of Fra Filippo Lippi

                                                                                http://www.filippinolippi.prato.it/mycommon/img/filippino.jpg

 For more information see:

http://www.artist-biography.info/artist/fra_filippo_lippi/

            To see other artists or the Renaissance time period:

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Notes