How is the Crucifix by Coppo di Marcovaldo (Chapter 17 page 527) an example of Maniera Greca?
How does it compare to the Crucifixion from the Church of the Dormition ?
Minimum 700 words. ART207 Final Essay.
Photo files:
Marcovaldo: https://secure.flickr.com/photos/35271748@N00/4629391275
Dormition: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/05/2f/a5/052fa5ddab61a0ab796036ee8413951b.jpg
Submission:
Coppo di Marcovaldo was a Florentine, a painter, prolific in the mid-13th century. He is credited for a fusion of Italian and Byzantine styles. His particular style was to influence many generations of Italian artists. The Crucifix of this essay was done in 1274 and is displayed in the Cathedral of Pistoia. The Pistoia Cathedral is the foremost religious building in Pistoia, Tuscany, located in the center of Italy.
Surrounding the main icon, the Crucifix comprises six panels; three on each side of the Christ on the cross. They include “the Capture of Jesus, Christ in Front of the Priests, Deposition, Deposition of Jesus in the Sepulchre, The Three Marys at the Sepulchre”[1]
The Crucifix by Coppo di Marcovaldo is an example of Maniera Greca in many of its most notable characteristics. First in the Byzantine style of a venerated icon. This piece is undoubtedly of a venerated icon. The Crucifix portrays the Christian’s Christ Jesus as he suffers on the cross near death. Jesus, born of a virgin fathered by the God himself, is arguably the most distinct and highly worshipped icon of the religion.
Next is the classical attire on disembodied figures. Classical in art is “a term generally used to refer to the style of the ancient Greek and Roman periods”[2] within this context, we shall ascertain if Marcovaldo’s imagery is adorned in classical attire. Panel top left, the capture of Jesus, has several figures clearly in ancient roman attire. The attire is simple in structure and form:“classical attire” was marked with heavily draping fabrics on both sexes, with most status classes wearing colorful clothing as dye was relatively affordable even for the lower classes.[3]
The byzantine artistic rendition of figures often includes such portraits as floating in space. This affect gives a relatively theoretical semblance; it offers no clear grounding, the artist has lofted his subjects using theatrics and irrationality, which are all very distinct features of the style Maniera Greco.
Examining the top left panel again and looking in particular at the feet positions. They are relatively on a plane, but slight variations allow and they do not appear to have a finite implied line. The feet positions also face forward, if the foot is dangling, this does give the impression of floating. The main image, the crucified Jesus, is hanging, clearly, but that there is no weight put upon his limbs in any artistic sense also leads us to wonder, is he floating? Often the crucified renditions offer a bit of a V to the arms, and the feet have some appearance of rigidity. Neither of these real-world physiological suggestions can be made to the Jesus depicted here.
Next we will ascertain the use of gold in the painting, which is indicative also of Maniera Greca. In this painting, it is hard not to notice the extensive use of gold, as a primary color. Above and below the arms of the cross are thick lines of gold. Christ’s halo is gold. The background panels around the torso of Jesus appear as gold. Whether by design or proximity the body of Jesus has a golden hue.
The 13th century introduction in Italian art was the propensity to stylize light. Shading and highlights were pronounced in Maniera Greca. In the crucifix, we can see this predominately in the loin cloth worn around Jesus’ waist. Almost cartoonish in severity between light and dark, renders the light in a unique way; almost no part of the painting makes use of such heavy highlight and shading except the loin cloth. The resurrection panel at bottom right has the similar color blue with less severe highlighting, as well as the bottom left panel, the disposition at the cross; again, a blue cloth. I find this odd, since the artist is quite skilled at this use, yet it is sparingly done to the point of where we do see it predominantly is almost out of place. Why go through the extraordinary effort of the loin cloth alone? Why draw attention to that portion and not any other. The cloaks and togas of the figures at the top panels could very well have some of the lighting but they do not. The actual flesh of the Jesus has very soft use of highlighting, it is not pulled to the stark white, nor should it be.
Finally we can’t help but distinguish this piece for its use of elongated form. Jesus is impossibly long of limbs. Considering his otherwise discomforting body position, his hands might be the first place we realize that this overall form is much elongated. That his hands are the length of his entire head is a physical rarity, in that hands, in reality, are only about ¾ the length of a head. That his arms, if they were at rest, would touch his knees is also unusual; most ands rest just below the hipbone, about halfway down to the knees.
We will now compare the Marovaldo piece to the Crucifixion from a crucifixion scene at Church of the Dormition.
The Church of Dormition is located in Daphne Greece and features some of the era’s most famous mosaics. The unusually bright gold glass used predominantly in the monastery is thought to have been made on site for the mosaics’ creation. The artist is an unknown from the Byzantine era of early 11th century. The mosaics of the Dormition are generally thought to have been a return to classical traditions in that they were created during a “renaissance in culture art” and the adornment was greatly inspired by the times. They are considered “particular grand specimens of Byzantine art in general”[4]
Classical Attire: Yes. Both feature the GrecoRoman
style of draped togas.
Veneration of Icons: Yes. The
frontal figure is Christ Jesus.
Floating in Space: No, the Dormition
mosaic has planted feet, indicative of standing on firm ground.
Use of Gold: Yes. The background of both are
gold, the mosaic exclusive of other colors.
Contrasts in Shading and highlight:
No. The Mosaic, though makes use of shading in the folds of cloth, does not
make use of intense highlighting that the Marovaldo does.
Elongated form: No, the Dormition mosaic has physically proportioned human figures.
This concludes the examination of the Marcovaldo Crucifix as it represents Maniero Greca and the comparison of it and the Crucifixion from the Church of the Dormition.
Photo files:
Marcovaldo: https://secure.flickr.com/photos/35271748@N00/4629391275
Dormition: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/05/2f/a5/052fa5ddab61a0ab796036ee8413951b.jpg
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