History Presentation
Our class (22) had a presentation this Monday and Tuesday. This is my presentation

During the period between roughly 1350 and 1600 that we call the Renaissance, people were alarmed from the long and gradual transition from the old art system. Along with their markers, painting, sculpture and architecture achieved a higher prestige than in middle ages. In the arts, painting, sculpture and architecture had an even greater advance. Most people believe that famous artists as Leonardo or Michelangelo led these development.

Michelangelo was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet and engineer. He is also called as the god of Renaissance, along with his rival, Leonardo Da Vinci.

My topic is about one famous drawing of Michelangelo, which is called as Doni holy family, Doni Tondo or Doni Maddona.

And about his, I would like to bring 5 points as

1.     How can we describe the painting?

2.     Which technique did Michelangelo used on this painting?

3.     Comments and criticism is very important to paintors.

What does the painting symbolize and how did people felt about his art?

4.     Sometimes knowing the personality of the painters or authors can help people to understand the work.

What was his personality?

5.     What influences affected the painting?

1.     How can we describe the painting?

Doni Tondo is the one of the earliest 3 surviving paintings by Michelangelo and the only one that has been completed. It seems that the painting was commissioned by Agnolo Doni to commemorate the marriage. The drawing is form of Tondo, which means painting or mural design. (mural design means the picture painted on the wall) The work has been interpreted in various ways. Professional experts say that the art has figurative and poetic sense. Michelangelo is also known for poet and at the back of the painting, we can see this poem. ‘The moons are bound together with ribbons that interlock with lions’ and people say that this refers to the marriage. As you see here, the background has interesting parts. There are nude men and women with the landscape. Experts argue differently and they say that these nude men also come out on the ceiling of Sistine Chapel.

2.     Which technique did Michelangelo used on his painting?

Doni Tondo is the only existing panel picture Michelangelo painted without assistants. He used very bright and sharp colors but painted smooth and shaded. This painting is the first drawing that used the special effect called ‘unfocused effect’. Michelangelo mixes the color with black and white to contrast the colors he uses.  Michelangelo’s painting shows shaded but also soft and brightness. And this made people surprised still now.

          3.     What does the painting symbolize and how did people felt about this?

Just a few years after Leonardo Da Vinci achieved the unity, Michelangelo tried a different approach. As I told you before, Michelangelo used brilliant and contrasted colors than unified and soft color. His painting’s colors have been contrasted among. As he live, he saw the beginning of controversy between drawing and color. That time, artists and writers debated about this. Giorgio Vasari, as the admirer of Michelangelo said that he gave the big importance to the color. However, people pointed out that his use of color is very vivid, clear as sharp and unsuitable. Related, people criticizes that his ceiling also used unnatural color.

However, still, experts say that Michelangelo was always awaken and the secret of his painting and color would be searched soon. To add, the interesting point was that Michelangelo used plants to symbolize things. The picture has hyssop and cornflower which means heaven and humility of christianity and baptism. Baptism means a christian ceremony in which a person is baptized. The clover in the ground presents relief. So, this tells that the painting brings out a bit of religious points which also show the back ground settings.

4.     What was his personality?

He is told to be haughty with others but dissatisfied with himself often. He thought that the art was something to give things new lives and freedom. Different with Leonardo, Michelangelo thought that nature is the enemy of humans. He created the forceful and dynamic pictures. He was also told to be alone and solitary person. And I believe that these characteristics made him to express his feeling sharply. Michelangelo was known to admire batistry and I believe it’s related to the picture.

5.  What influences affected the painting?

Doni Tondo was partially influenced by Leonardo’s ‘The virgin and the child’. They had the same points as symmetrical triangular composition. He also tried to incorporate the ideas of Luca Signovelli. They similarly used the male figures on the back. The position showed that characters in the picture are doing the similar position with ‘The virgin and child’. Because these similarities also show the painter’s expression, history or technique’s use, I think it’s important to know influences.

Before I conclude my speech up, I would like to talk about what points make this picture valuable.

1.     It’s purely drawn by Michelangelo, without any help of assistants.

2.     It’s one of the 3 earliest panel workings by Michelangelo and it’s the only one that has been completed.

3.     It’s the 1^st painting that Michelangelo used bright and contrasting in one picture.

Even though that time, this painting was criticized, I believe this was the evolutionary work that approached differently than beforadays’ work.