Identify a narrative subject depicted in the Arena Chapel Essay Example
Identify a narrative subject depicted in the Arena Chapel Essay Example

Identify a narrative subject depicted in the Arena Chapel Essay Example

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  • Published: July 5, 2017
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Giotto and Duccio have different approaches to depicting The Betrayal of Jesus. Giotto's interpretation is realistic and portrays a more chaotic and violent scene. In contrast, Duccio's portrayal is ordered and formal. Giotto's figures feel more lifelike compared to Duccio's. Giotto emphasizes facial expressions and gestures, evoking a sense of sadness and sorrow. On the other hand, Duccio focuses on intricate details.

The expressions in Giotto's piece are simplified, capturing the dramatic moment of pain, while in Duccio's piece, the expressions are more complicated, showing a variety of emotions. Unlike Giotto's figures, which all display the same expression, Duccio's figures exhibit different expressions. For instance, some figures in Duccio's piece, such as Peter, are angry, while others, like the disciples, appear afraid. These differences convey the story through the captured emotions. Additionally, Giotto's tr

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eatment of figures is characterized by large and bold features, whereas Duccio employs thin and elongated figures.

The use of different colors to depict The Betrayal varies in Giotto's and Duccio's works. While Giotto, a realist painter, employs soft, subtle earthy pink and green shades along with bright reds for soldiers and silver helmets, Duccio focuses on intricate details and uses vibrant oranges, golds, and ultramarine. In Giotto's painting, the figures are portrayed in warm, natural colors, whereas in Duccio's artwork, the figures are bright and captivating. Giotto utilizes color to indicate importance, exemplified by Judas wearing a yellow robe in The Betrayal to prominently stand out and emphasize his significance.

The yellow color directs the viewer's attention to a specific scene. In Duccio's artwork, the figures are depicted in colors such as red or orange, while Jesus is portrayed in a darker shade of

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blue. In contrast, in Giotto's artwork, Jesus is positioned slightly to the left of the center and facing towards the center, while Judas becomes the central figure. On the other hand, in Duccio's painting, Jesus is placed at the center facing the audience. The use of colors plays a crucial role in conveying the story by highlighting the significance of certain characters. In Giotto's Betrayal scene, the background composition differs from Duccio's portrayal. Giotto opts for a simple dark blue background to accentuate the darkness and night-time setting of the event.

Duccio and Giotto have different approaches to their backgrounds. Duccio's composition of landscape includes elements such as trees and hills, with each tree serving as a division in the scene. He aims to capture the overall atmosphere, including the surroundings. On the other hand, Giotto's background is simpler, with a red and gold type background that does not appear realistic. His choice of color does not reflect naturalism. In Giotto's composition, he isolates people from the background and landscape, creating a sense of separation between Jesus, Judas, and the other figures. Despite being surrounded by people, Jesus and Judas stand out due to their larger size and their focus on each other rather than those around them. This separation of the main figures from the other elements is a distinctive style employed by Giotto. However, in Duccio's Betrayal, Jesus seems to blend in with the others rather than being separated from them.

In terms of size, all figures are the same height. His piece creates a feel that Jesus blends in with the other figure, and does not appear separate as in Giotto's where Jesus is

disproportionately sized compared to other figures. Giotto's treatment of drapery differs from Duccio's. Giotto depicts robes that conform to each figure's body, allowing you to see the shape. On the other hand, Duccio's robes do not emphasize body shapes but rather form a pattern at the bottom of the drapery, showing creases and folds. In contrast, Giotto reveals the bodies underneath their garments.

The Arena Chapel, situated in Padua, is an example of Trecento painting influenced by patronage and function. Enrico Scrovegni, the patron of Giotto's paintings at the Arena Chapel, commissioned the artwork. The purpose of this patronage was to repent for his father's money lending activities, which were frowned upon due to his father's greediness. Scrovegni commissioned the Chapel as a way to make amends for his father's wrongdoings, repay the community, and restore the family's reputation.

Scrovegni felt remorseful and made the decision to commission Giotto to paint the Arena Chapel. The purpose was to narrate the biblical story of Christ to Scrovegni's family and also educate the illiterate. This patronage and purpose heavily influenced the iconography, ensuring that the biblical story could be easily and quickly comprehended. Giotto's Flight to Egypt artfully incorporated symbolism, such as the movement of the donkey and trees, to represent a journey towards a new life and future. One of Scrovegni's intentions was to convey the narrative of Christ, thus serving as a patron for the creation of the Chapel. A successful telling of the story necessitated the use of symbolic representations to enhance comprehension for the viewers.

Examples of iconography in Trecento paintings include the Last Judgment on the back wall of the Arena Chapel, where the patron

Scrovegni is being judged for his actions. This scene represents the judgment before entry into Heaven, symbolizing Scrovegni's forgiveness and acceptance by the community after making amends for his father's wrongs. Another example is Simone Martini's St Louis of Toulous painting in Naples, which encompasses both political and religious themes.

Robert Anjous is on the verge of assuming the role of King of Naples, with his brother Louis bestowing the crown upon him. The painting serves multiple purposes – to promote the newly crowned monarch and to showcase a gesture of nobility. Additionally, it serves as a political record, capturing the momentous occasion when a new king ascends the throne, albeit in a pictorial form rather than through written documentation. These varied functions exert an influence on the depicted iconography, which symbolizes regality and a celestial act of Louis crowning his brother Robert. The crown serves as a representation of royalty, as does the ceremonial robe worn during the coronation. The presence of angels further emphasizes the ethereal nature of Louis' crowning of his brother.

The main purpose of the painting is to depict Louis giving up his earthly crown in order to receive a heavenly crown of a bishop. This concept greatly affects the symbols utilized in the artwork. Both Massaccio's The Trinity and The Tribute Money adhere to the principles of perspective, employing linear and vanishing point perspective. The Trinity, for instance, forms a triangle at the top of God's head with the figures below, thereby illustrating the vanishing point perspective at a minimal extent due to the presence of the tomb. Additionally, the arch above God's head is created using lines of perspective.

As the

squares become more distant, they appear closer together, creating a sense of depth. In The Tribute Money, the vanishing point is aligned with Jesus' eyes, making him the focal point. Similarly, in The Trinity, even the nails on Christ's hand follow the lines of perspective. The patterns on the arc in The Trinity give the impression of a chapel and create the illusion of a larger building. This is the effect that perspective creates. The use of perspective in The Tribute Money gives it an aerial view, resembling that of a bird's eye perspective, which allows for capturing the entire surroundings and emphasizing large spaces in the environment.

By utilizing aerial perspective, a natural scene is formed. Shading employed in conjunction with this perspective adds realism by illustrating the diminishing size of objects as they recede into the distance. In The Tribute Money, the positioning of figures is in accord with the horizon and landscape, ensuring proportionality. This is evident in the figures' height and realistic relation to the buildings. The landscape is intentionally made to appear larger than the figures, thereby generating a sense of naturalism. Rather than dominating the entire scene, the figures blend seamlessly, resembling a snapshot of reality. The Trinity also employs perspective lines to construct a naturalistic setting.

The Trinity is an excellent illustration of how perspective rules are followed, resulting in a natural scene. The proportions of Christ in relation to the building are accurate. The arrangement of figures creates a sense of space. In Massaccio's Tribute Money, Peter and the other figures on the right may appear out of place, but still maintain a realistic appearance. During the 15th Century,

the exploration of science and human anatomy helped artists depict authentic human characteristics. Through research, the bone structure and abdomen of Christ in The Trinity are visible. The arms have a lifelike appearance, displaying folds and creases in the skin.

In the 15th century, science started to bring naturalism into artists' work, resulting in the bones and muscles being accurately placed to evoke real-life feelings. Lorezentti's portrayal of interior space in this painting is typical of 14th century art. Similar to Giotto's The Flight into Egypt and The Marriage at Cana, where figures are positioned at the bottom half of the paintings, Lorezentti positions the figures where the action takes place in the foreground. Two poles on each side separate the two figures adjacent to them, segregating them from the main scene.

The building at the stop appears out of place, giving the impression of an exterior structure inside. This can be seen as symbolic of a building. The foreground interior space is crowded and unclear, with numerous rounded arcs and poles that are difficult to discern. Lorenzetti manages to capture both the interior and exterior spaces in this painting. It seems as if the painting was executed from an outside perspective, showcasing both the inside and outside views of the building. The figures, gathered in one group, seem disconnected from the building, with the action taking place nearby.

The building in the painting is spacious, but only has figures placed in the front, leaving the back empty. This arrangement isolates the figures from the building, as if they do not interact with each other. The figures are much smaller than the interior space, which is a common

technique used by 14th century artists like Giotto. Lorezentti, on the other hand, uses foreshadowing to depict depth in 15th century painting. The vanishing point is located behind the central figure, who is positioned right in the middle of the painting. A vertical line runs down from the top triangle tip, intersecting with this figure at the middle point.

The poles in the painting create a sense of interior space as they vanish into the vanishing point. The dark shadow behind the central pillar contributes to the perception of length. By making the poles appear darker in color, it gives the impression that the building is bigger and farther away. The dark patterns on the floor tiles act as transversal lines following Alberti's theories of perspective, adding to the sense of space. The black foreshadowing leads the viewer's eye further back, enhancing the perception of depth. The archways, stacked behind one another, convey a sense of architectural complexity. Lastly, the burgundy walls being dark make the building seem even further away from the figures than it actually is.

The painting creates a sense of height by cutting off the arcs at the top, making the building appear taller than it is. The use of shadowing also exaggerates the size of the building, adding to the illusion of depth or space created by 15th century artists.

In advertising, there is a contrast between promoting cosmetics for teenagers and women aged 35+. Advertising is a type of commercial mass communication that aims to promote and sell a product, service, or message for an institution, organization, or political candidate.

Advertising is found in different types of media, such as newspapers, television, direct

mail, radio, magazines, the internet, outdoor signs, and transit signs. On a daily basis, the average individual is exposed to approximately 500+ advertisements. Only those ads that meet a person's needs become memorable to them. My research focuses on comparing cosmetic advertising aimed at teenagers and older women. Successful cosmetic companies must employ effective methods and techniques to promote their products.

I conducted research on the language used by various companies to promote their products to different age groups, whether it be teenagers or women aged 35 and above. I analyzed numerous advertisements from TV, magazines, internet, outdoor signs, and over-the-counter leaflets. Cosmetic advertising aims to persuade consumers with a desired perfect image in mind. These companies target people's insecurities by presenting a beautiful image through models.

Celebrity endorsements, as well as the language and messaging they use, support and reinforce what they are trying to convey. Companies understand their target market and use language strategically to establish a connection with people. When targeting different age groups, companies recognize that these groups have different desires and preferences. For instance, women aged 35+ may be interested in products that reduce wrinkles and provide a natural, subtle appearance. On the other hand, teenagers may be looking for trendy colors and styles that change with each season. By understanding the needs of each market segment, companies are able to convince consumers to make purchases.

I encountered many ads that make the claim "Fine lines will disappear and become less noticeable." These ads often include statistics, quotes, or anecdotes that sound like they have been proven. For example, they might state that "85% of women noticed a 30% improvement in skin texture."

These reasons provide factual information that potential consumers consider. By presenting numbers, the ads create the perception that scientific research has been conducted, which tends to influence many women. When targeting teenage markets, fewer quotes like these are used. Instead, quotes such as "shimmer and sheer this summer" highlight the reasons for purchasing cosmetics based on the age group.

To connect with the teenage market, the language used is informal and includes colloquialisms and slang. This is important because teenagers often use and hear this type of language on a daily basis. In contrast, older women prefer a formal yet simple style with shorter sentences. This group prefers advertisements to provide factual or proven information, such as claiming that a foundation can make fines disappear in 14 days. In addition to informal language and colloquialisms, catchy phrases and headlines, including puns or cliches, are utilized to grab the attention of teenage girls.

These phrases are typically associated with visuals that can be "joke-like," such as "It's so easy, it flips out." The lipstick features a handle that was added on to emphasize ease and convenience, like a visual pun. In contrast, the brand Clairns, which targets older women, uses phrases based on proven results or facts, such as "Make your lips look smoother in just 7 days." These phrases effectively communicate what women want and appeal to many of them. The visuals are as simple as this one, only featuring lipstick on its own. I noticed that the younger the customer, the more playful the advertisement tends to be.

The older the woman, the more factual and simplistic the advertising tends to be. I have noticed that advertising

layouts and visuals differ between ads targeting teenagers and those targeting older women. It is clear that younger people are attracted to bright, colorful, and playful ads. On the other hand, older women are drawn to classier, simple, and credible ads. For example, Bonne Bell promotes mascara for teenagers with a layout that incorporates brightly colored and playful visuals resembling cartoons. In contrast, ads aimed at older women utilize a simple and natural layout.

A significant characteristic of Lancome's previous advertisements targeting older demographics is their utilization of a plain, creamy apricot or white color scheme, along with simplistic visuals highlighting the product itself. Additionally, the involvement of celebrity endorsements plays a crucial role in enhancing the sales of these products. Such endorsements contribute to establishing a distinctive identity for the product and establishing a connection between potential consumers and renowned celebrities. This connection diminishes any barriers and creates the impression that consumers can share similar qualities, such as makeup preferences, with their favorite celebrities. For instance, Halle Berry's endorsement as the spokesperson for Revlon might motivate individuals to opt for Revlon over competing non-celebrity endorsed alternatives.

It assures consumers that, even though we live in different worlds, we can still use the same makeup brand as millionaire actresses. This technique is called 'image advertising'. The personality is formed by the words and images that the advertisement links to the product (brand image). Brand image frequently influences consumers to choose one brand over another, rather than a cheaper generic product. Clairns (targeting an older market) presents the image of "no one understands your skin better". This positions them as a company that knows what is best for

you and has expertise in their field.

Many companies have a slogan that conveys a message to women about their worthiness and the importance of looking good by using their products. Loreal's slogan, "Because you're worth it," is widely recognized and serves as a reassurance of the invaluable worth of every woman. Slogans are designed to allow women to easily identify and connect with them. They often use highly positive and emotive language. The degree of exaggeration, also known as hyperbole, used in slogans varies significantly across different age groups. Interestingly, in the teen market, exaggeration is limited as they focus more on informing customers about the benefits of their products.

The use of jargon differs depending on the target audience. Older women are targeted with ads that contain jargon such as "exclusive Photo-flex formula," while the teenage market is presented with credible phrases like "blends easily for even coverage" or "get the benefits of an effective SPF 15 sunscreen." The company's focus for older women is to exaggerate and promote a product in a seemingly gentle way, such as Shisedos Moisture Mist collection's claim that "new colors will make your skin practically glow." This distinction can also be seen in the use of figurative language for older women and literal language for teenagers.

Figurative language is commonly used to appeal to the older generation, with phrases such as "flawless finish without the layers" or "imperfection blur and shadows dissolve". This targeting is more intricate and suited for sophisticated women. In contrast, literal language is employed to target teenagers, using simple and straightforward phrases like "won't come off" or "suits you perfectly". Generally, products aimed at younger consumers

are labeled with an affordable price, as it is seen as a necessity for this age group. For younger girls, a stated cheap price provides an additional incentive for them to make a purchase.

To make a psychological appeal, using prices such as $4.5 or $9.99 (instead of whole numbers) creates the perception of being cheaper. The key to attracting this particular market lies in both the price and the perceived benefits, such as "long lasting" and "affordable quality." On the other hand, when targeting older women, the advertisement should gently convey what she desires and how this product can fulfill her needs. This approach is referred to as a "soft sell" strategy, which puts less pressure on the buyer. In contrast, the teenage market requires a more imperative or "hard sell" approach that is more direct and demanding. The use of imagery is also a common strategy when targeting older women.

Guinot's foundation range is known for creating a "natural" appearance. The words used, such as healthy, natural, glow, and vitamin C, highlight this theme. In contrast, when targeting teenagers, the focus is less on a specific theme or image. Instead, the language tends to be more celebratory about the product and its perceived benefits. In other words, the marketing language is not as clever. Additionally, advertising strategies vary across different media platforms such as TV, magazines, and the internet. For example, magazine ads heavily rely on techniques like emotive language or syntax, such as minor sentences. On the other hand, TV ads rely more on visuals, often featuring celebrities.

TV advertisements combine sight, sound, and emotion to add appeal and excitement to a product, making it

a great opportunity for companies to establish their "brand image" through catchy slogans like Loreal's "because you're worth it." In contrast, TV ads rely heavily on visuals and sound rather than language itself, as the promotion of a product is conveyed through what the viewer sees rather than reads. On the other hand, language is a crucial element in static magazine ads, as it plays a primary role in conveying information and persuading customers to make a purchase. Magazine ads can provide more detailed information, such as different shades of lipstick. With the right information provided, people may be inclined to buy a particular product.

Cosmetic advertising perpetuates the false notion that happiness can be attained through purchasing products, promoting a materialistic perspective. The argument posits that advertising cultivates a consumer culture, where the acquisition of innovative products becomes central to societal values and aspirations. Consequently, this demand for cosmetic products compels manufacturers to develop new items, advertise them in strategic ways, and employ persuasive language. However, it is essential for us as consumers to acknowledge that what we encounter in the media is often exaggerated and not an accurate reflection of reality.

Cosmetic companies present a desired image to consumers, which can lead to feelings of insecurity and a desire to purchase their products. The portrayal of flawless models in these advertisements is exaggerated, akin to the use of language. Although I believe that cosmetic advertisements are overly exaggerated, they are still made believable. The youthfulness of a model using a specific product may seem attainable but is actually out of reach for the average person. The reality is that it is the expertise of makeup

artists, hours spent, and perfect lighting that contribute to the model's appearance, which is far from what an average person can achieve.

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