A Comparison of Barna di Siena’s Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine and

A Comparison of Barna di Sienas mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine and Rogier van der Weydens Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin and Child Development in art often follows ii tracks development over a period of time and also differences in regional development. Both changes are seen in the likeness of Barna di Sienas Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine and Rogier van der Weydens Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin and Child. Originating in Italy, the Renaissance began in the mid to late thirteenth century. Barna da Siena was one of the early Renaissance artists influenced by Duccio di Buoninsegna and Simone Martini. Barna di Sienas painting is dated around 1340 and Rogier van der Weydens painting was painted nearly a century later around 1435. Rogier van der Weyden had the advantage of development in perspective and modeling that developed over time, but was also from the Flemish condition of art, a style totally different from that of the early Italian Renaissance artists. What l ends these paintings so readily to comparison is the fact that the general symmetrical report card of two main figures and the sizes of the two are approximately the same. However, it is clear that a century and a different region has created stylized differences that are very clear.Barna di Sienas Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine exhibits a highly dramatic style that was not seen in his mentor nor in his fellow student Lippo Memmis work. The symmetric composition consists of two main figures, Saint Catherine and the adult Jesus. In the painting, Jesus is seen placing a ring on Saint Catherines finger and taking her as his sacred bride. Both figures appear to be very light and frail and the draperies they wear do not show the human f... ...rlapping figures, relative positioning from the ground problem and also the illusion of making parallel lines join somewhere far away in the distance.These two paintings represent typical examples from 14th century Italian artist, Barna d a Siena, and 15th century Flemish artist, Rogier van der Weyden. Both images depict two main characters in a rather symmetrical composition and are of large size. However, it is clear that over a century and different region the stylized differences are very clear. Realism, the style of Flemish artists at the time, with all of its detail, is rather different from the large, flat shapes of color in Barna da Sienas painting. Just by looking at the two, it is evident that the second painting is more mod and developed. Art continues developing along different tracks today and who knows what art will develop into in the future.