Madonna

Henry Kutilek Grinvalds Humanities (A8) 10/31/12 Emotions From the Finch 100 years ago the first car was made. This created an entirely new form of transportation that was innovative to that generation. Similarly, the 100 year difference between the end of the Medieval Era and beginning of the Renaissance Era showed amazing changes in the form of art. The painting “Madonna the Goldfinch” by Raphael Sanzio was created in c. 1505-1506. This was the very beginning of the Renaissance Era, and the painting strived for perfection unlike any of the paintings created before it.

Madonna the Goldfinch portrays a sense intrigued curiosity, but to those who analyze it will find a guiding informative response with a deep understanding of symbolic foreshadowing. This essay will discuss the visual, expressive, and associative responses experience from Raphael’s painting, The Madonna the Goldfinch. The responded will be ordered by when chronologically experienced. The primary response I feel is visual. The first thing that catches my eye is the pale face of the woman (Mary) and her blue and red clothes. Her face is close to white, its large, and located at the top of the painting.

She is looking down, and the expression on her face looks close to surprised, with a faint smirk on her lips. This makes me think she is curious, yet knowing of the situation at hand. Next I look at the two children on the left and right (John the Baptist, Jesus) below Mary. I immediately notice the clothed John and naked Jesus, and then the bird that John is holding. He is offering it to Jesus, and Jesus strokes the top of its head with assurance. He is also being held tightly between Mary’s knees, and she has an arm around John, which makes me feel like she is encouraging him.

These three bodies make a near perfect triangle, which balances the painting to a tee. Also, the colors on their bodies contrast the green landscape in the background. I noticed this, and then saw that there is a city very far in the distance across a river (Florence, Italy). If I had been another foot away from the painting I wouldn’t have noticed this, and without the zoom in feature on the google art galleries I would not have known it was a city. Either side of the bodies show two different landscapes, and they are both of equal size.

On the left side shows trees in the distance, along with a bridge. The most impressive showings of detail are found in the bird, John’s hair, and the city in the background. This had to be truly amazing for the people in this time period. Not only is this painting artistically impressive, it is expressively impressive. The first feeling I get when looking at this painting is security. Mary is holding Jesus tightly between her knees, and holding an arm around John. Along with this, John is gently holding on to a bird that he is offering to Jesus.

Mary’s face looks similar to a teacher watching a student try something new they just learned, and her holding the book adds to this. All of this makes me feel guidance, and gives me a motherly feeling of love that can push me along with whatever troubles I have in my life. The aspect of motherly love is exactly how I relate to this picture. I associate this painting with a favorite picture in my house of my mother watching my two oldest brothers play when they were just a few years old. It struck me early on in the viewing of the picture how similar it is to my young family.

My mom is watching over them while they are sitting down in the yard, and my oldest brother is offering my other brother a toy to play with. The similarities between Mary’s face and my moms is shocking. These similarities make me think about what is actually happening in the painting, and the story that is being told. This is called the intellectual response. One main theme I see is actually a Renaissance Concept, that that is Emulation of the Classics. Art made in Europe in the Medieval Era was all mainly funded by the church, and in turn it was made to glorify god.

It is obvious this painting is doing something similar, but just with a perfected brush stroke that had depth and balance. Also, the idea of Humanism comes into play. Mary is holding a book that she seems to have just been reading, and in the Renaissance Era people were just beginning to not be afraid to learn. Maybe Raphael was trying to portray that reading is an okay and safe thing to do by having someone as idealistic as Mary reading. I noticed how both Mary and John have halos above their head, but Jesus does not.

I was very confused by this at first, and it made my question whether the bird had something to do with it. Upon researching I learned that this bird is a Goldfinch, a bird that eats primarily off of throned plants. The legend is that when Jesus was carrying his cross to become crucified he had a thorn painfully poking at his head, and a Goldfinch flew over to him and removed it from his head. The Goldfinch is often used as a symbol of resurrection, so there is no doubt in my mind that the bird is used as a symbol of John foretelling Jesus about his future. Madonna the Goldfinch” is a truly amazing piece of artwork, with incredible attention to detail. It made me think about how good Raphael is as an artist, but also what he meant to portray. In my eyes, it shows the guidance of a mother and the wonder of two children. It really made me interpret the painting in ways I never have before, like considering facial expressions and what they mean. If I had to rename this painting it would be “Wisdom of the Goldfinch”. This is because the bird is the focus of the painting and it is causing the emotions of all of the people in the painting, through which wisdom is being passed.

Music brings excitement to everyone’s lives. It goes without saying, music industry is a youth dominated business.  Music creates huge portions of popular cultures, promoting fashions, make-up, automobiles, popular hangouts and latest technology. People behind scenes in music business targeting youthful audiences bring in most revenue. Performer’s ability to portray sex symbolic image determines, to a large extent, record company’s success.

Age Requirements;

When professionals force very young children into stretching their vocal chords to match pitches in high notes above treble staff, when a child is given drugs to work longer hours while keeping up with school work, it is too young. When an older person no longer wants to make efforts to appeal to audiences, that is when they are too old. Madonna, Tina Turner and Janet Jackson did not acquire their sex symbol images by accident, regardless of how beautiful they were when they were born. When a “stroke of bad luck” involving serious health problems, is another time when a person is too old for the music industry. This can occur at 20 years old, or it may never occur. Music industry professionals are not concerned with actual ages, as they are with possessing appearances and talent appealing to youth and ability to hold audiences.

“Although Bocelli was exposed to different styles when he was young, its been my experience age doesn’t matter. What matters is a willingness to do what it takes. I have used methods to assist many singers into developing new styles, regardless of age” (Goodrich, 2007).  Carrying off a sexy singing voice is equally important as carrying off sexy physical image. Many auditions forms ask a persons age range. Age range refers to the age performers can portray. Very often, a 40 year old person has an age range of 20-25; likewise very often, a twenty five year old has an age range of 40-50.

Sex Symbols;

“Audiences today have a very short attention p. An ability to intrigue an audience is mandatory” (paraphrased, Ravelo, November 1, 2007).  Sex symbols definitely intrigues audiences, initially. Anyone can look like a sex symbol. Sex symbol status, like it or not, is determined by weight management. Rules of statistics do not apply to people keeping youthful appearances years longer than expected. Singers such as Beyonce, Madonna, PussyCat Dolls are superior role models for women. Their hairstyles, fashions, physique contribute to their identity of being a sex symbol.

Nightclubs;

Even with stricter laws on underage drinking, and the nightclub staff, many underage people successfully enter into clubs. All night club personnel must attend classes and pass a mandatory exam regarding laws. Fake identification cards, or theft of someone else’s valid ID’s are one way it is done. Legal parents or guardians accompanying their children can legally enter into night clubs and drink, as long as the beverage is served to the parent, and they parent gives them the drink. Sometimes managers bend rules allowing underage people into the club.

And sometimes unmentioned arrangements are bargained with between the club and the state and city law enforcement agencies. Clubs who ID every person walking through the door, are probably the ones pulling something under the table. Nightclubs appeal to youthful crowds. Usually, nightclubs target age groups by music selection. Sometimes a persons choice of music reveals their age. People educated in music will listen to all types of music.

Conclusion;

Music industry has no age requirements. Music industry requires targeting youthful audiences at any age. Popular culture, which is youth oriented, is often associated with music. Music videos are full of sex symbols, including Justin Timberlake, Elvis, Ricky Martin, Usher, Gwen Steffani, Christina Augillera. Sex symbols in music industry serve as wonderful role models for all people of all ages. People who are in the spotlight also have a responsibility to ensure their behavior is worth copying. The media and Christian groups love to “throw dirt” on anything or anyone presented as a glamorous sexy superstar. Music video industry has talented sex symbols of all ages.

Notes:

Goodrich, M. Can Style Be Learned? Backstage.com Voice Movement; Published November 2, 2007; Date retrieved November 3, 2007

http://www.backstage.com/bso/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003667139

Ravelo, H., Kuhn, S., Bickelmann, L., What Top Three Things Make a Successful Actor

Backstage.com; Ask A Pro. Published November 1, 2007; Date retrieved November 3, 2007

http://www.backstage.com/bso/advice-columns/ask-a-professional/ask-a-pro/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003666231

In Adopting Africans not the answer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, argues against an appeal that Madonna has made on television: adopt an African child. Her opinion is summarized as, “Madonna could have urged others to help solve the problems by empowering, not failed leaders, but the people.” Adichie’s opinion can be categorized under both persuasion and deliberation. First, she expounds on what Madonna says on TV and then tries to persuade others to believe that Madonna, could have said something better.

Therefore, her goal is to clarify what Madonna has said, and make a resolution as to what Madonna could have said. In the process of doing this, she also simultaneously presents to her readers the situation for children in Africa and how the public can help. As she narrates her African background and urges people to look more closely at Africa, and essentially, look far beyond what Madonna has said, she also deliberates on the better type of action between adopting a child in Africa, or sending a donation to check to malaria-eradication organizations. Adichie wants her readers to believe that the better thing to do is send donation.

My outlook on Adichie’s opinion is perhaps similar to her own opinion of Madonna – I wish Adichie could have focused on the fact that Africa needs donation, instead of going around in circles, telling a lot of things that could not strongly prove a point. Adichie’s article was full of herself. She starts with her childhood, goes on to tell what she feels, and ends the article with what she would think, which is only a poor anticipation of a scenario that do not give enough kick to support her arguments.

Adichie could have been more straightforward, and started with what Madonna said on television. From there, she could have skipped some parts of her story and went straight to correct “the underlying notion that one helps Africa by adopting Africa’s children.” Instead, she dragged on and took Madonna’s adopted child’s biological father on the scene without empowering her opinion.

Yet, when Adichie needed to expound, she failed. She wrote, “I wish she (Madonna) had added that Africa cannot depend on aid alone, that aid is like salted peanuts: The more failed leaders get, the more they want. I wish she had said she was setting up an organization run by locals to use donations as micro-credit.” Adichie could have directly compared the effects of helping a micro-credit and adopting a child in a bid to help Africa as a nation. But Adichie just carelessly went on without painting a clearer and crispier picture in the minds of her readers.

Towards the end of her argument, she peppers her words with a lot of “I wonder,” which made her arguments a lot weaker and immature than what it should be. She may gotten the message across that Madonna could have said something better; but she did give a lot of depth to her explanation for that. So after a while, her reader forgets about what Madonna has said, and what she herself has said.

It’s a shame because Adichie almost made a point – that Africa can be helped not just be adopting its children. But she merely touches on the “why” part of her article — where she was meant to strengthen her point and create an imprint in people’s minds — and clearly loses control of her argument. Overall, her article is doomed to be forgettable.

Source:

1. CHIMAMANDA, N.A. (2006). Adopting Africans not the answer. News Day.
2.  Retrieved November 15, 2006, from http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-padi144975329nov14,0,116074.story?coll=ny-vi

Notwithstanding its sociological, historical, literary and religious significance to the life of many people in different parts of the world, the origin and essence of the Black Madonna which serves as the holy icon of the Virgin Mary and Poland’s national symbol remains to be a debate to many people as far as the history, literature and religion are concerned. The presence of Black Madonna are widespread all across the country and they are mostly found insidethe churches and cathedrals and they all point towards the image of Mary and the Christ.

This image may have been formed centuries ago but its historical significance and importance travelled and withstood the test of time. The word Madonna originated from Italy which means “our lady”. Thie term connotes a title of respect for the Virgin Mary and it is often applied to works of art, most especially to the mother andchildimagewhich is popularly known as Madonna and Child . Religion tells that Black Madonna is the representation of the image of Virgin Mary which was tested by times that is why it was transformed into its today’s black image.

Also, church leaders claim that Black Madonna has noting to do with the Culture of the African-Americans. It is stated, nevertheless, that the Black Madonnas became black they were greatly influenced by the cultures and traditions of the Black Americans. The icon transformed into black because it was affected by the place where most of these images can be found. On the other hand, history and literature dictate that Black Madonna is the changed representation of the early statues of the African Goddess Isis and her son Horus which greatly influenced most of the religions of the world today.

Society has associated the color black with something negative but in the past, this was not the case. For instance, black was connected with fertility and growth and it is good to think of it not as a color bt as an absence of color. From this perspective, the Black Madonna became an icon for inclusion. She became a guide and a comfort for people from all walks of life and race. In terms of psychology, darkness represents somethin unknown to consciousness and more often than not, thse gifts involve qualities of the females like intuition and emotion.

It must be born in mind that the term feminine does not necessarily refer to the female specie because both sexes have masculine and feminine qualities. With this in mind, it can be said that the Black Madonnas symnolize transformation because this image helps people discover their inner gifts and assists them in bringing those gifts into the surface . Amid these numerous explanations from the different perspectives in the society, until today, there are no clear and definite position on the real origin of the Black Madonna which is believed to be the representation of Virgin Mary.

Even though the different claims seem to contradict each other with regards to the origin of the icon or image, the Black Madonna is considered to be one of the most influential religious icon to most of the people in the present generation. The origin of Black Madonna A Black Madonna may refer to an icon, painting, fresco or sculpture of Virgin Mary which is usually found in churches, sanctuaries and chapels. It is also called as Black Virgin since Mary is portrayed with dark or black skin.

Some believe that this portrayal of Virgin Mary was originated from the culture of the Black Americans since many of these Black Madonnas were found in the areas with large black populations such as in the United States. Some claim that the color of these images have no significance or value since they were only repainted by black color after being restored to its original pale-skinned coloring brought by the age of time. Nevertheless, amidst its sociological, historical and religious significance to many parts of the world, the origin of the Black Madonna still remains a question left unanswered to many of its devotees.

Some of the famous Black Virgin shrines, which we usually see in the cathedrals and churches, are Loreto, Zaragoza, Chartes, Rocamadour, Guadalupe and Montserrat . Black Madonnas are found throughout the world including Belgium, Croatia, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Sicily, Spain, Switzerland and the United States . The first “Black Madonna and Child” portraits and statues were believed to be from Isis and Horus . Isis was a black African goddess from Nile Valley civilizations whose worship diffused to most of ancient civilizations.

Before the first Egyptian dynasty, Isis was worshiped by the Nubians for more than 300 years. It is believed that Isis religion had a lot of similarities to the to the world’s religions which include Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity. For instance, Horus, the son of Isis, was from a virgin mother’s immaculate conception and said to walk on water like Jesus Christ. The husband of Isis named Osiris was also resurrected, like Jesus, after he was murdered. When other religions became popular, the “Black Madonna and Child” statues of Isis and Horus were not destroyed but their names were only changed.

For example, Isis and Horus were changed to Devaki and Krishna in Hinduism or Maya and Buddha in Buddhism. The Japanese called Isis as Kwannon while Chinese changed the name to Kwa-yin. In the 1985 book of Ean Begg entitled The Cult of the Black Virgin, there were 450 identified images of the Black Virgin and Child in Europe with 190 statues in France only. Because of the dominating influence of the Isis religion, it is believed that the African goddess had significant contributions to the civilization of the continent.

For instance, Paris is actually believed to be named after Isis since Para-Isis signifies “Place of Isis”. Likewise, Note Dame which means “Our Lady” is a manifestation that the cathedral of the Catholics is nothing but more than as enlargement of the temple of Isis in the ancient civilizations . Some also believe that Black Virgin, aside from its resemblance to the portrayal of Isis and Horus of the ancient Egyptians, has the strong connection to the medieval Knights Templar and Mary Magdalene .

For instance, the famous Black Virgin – la Madone des Fenestres which means “The Madonna of the Windows” was believed to have folk traditional significance since the place where this statue was believed to be a place where many Templars were massacred. Some associate Black Madonnas with African-American cultures. Nevertheless, church literature strongly denies this claim since church officials insist that the Madonnas became black because of the smoke from candles and dirt and eventually because of the old age of the statues .

Meanwhile, the Black Madonna in Southern Provencal tradition is associated with the patron of the Gypsies called St. Lara . The patron saint is considered to be the black assistant who accompanied the three Marys to France when they escaped from the Holy Land after Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Meanwhile, during 1934, an icon of the Virgin Mother and Child was brought to the Pauline monastery of Jasna Gora or the “Bright Mountain” in Western Poland. The icon was said to be donated by the Prince of Opole in Silesia. Some told that the icon was painted by St. Luke on boards from table of the Holy Family in Nazareth.

And the face of the said icon is black . There are other countless theories about the origin of the Black Madonnas or Black Virgins but until today, there is no concrete explanation about the history or origin of the now famous image in the religious sectors of the world. There are many who look at Black Madonna in relation to some of the goddesses know to men like Kali of India, Hecate and Medusa of Greece and Isis of Egypt. These grounds generates a spiritual as well as a psychological substance that raises the Black Madona to a level of great importance and significance in the modern world .

Today, the statues of Isis and Horus are now called Mary and Jesus and there are millions of pilgrims who are visiting the Black Madonna shrines since they are believed to be miraculous to the devotees. Some claim that the statues can help heal towns of plague, make infertile women pregnant, bring back dead babies to life, save countries from war and the like. One of the obvious testimonies of the miracle from the Black Virgin in Poland was the experience of Pope John Paul II when he prayed to the statue for his recovery from his gun shot wound .

After the miracle happened to Pope John Paul II, several miraculous events were credited after the Black Virgins including saving Poland from Russia in 1769. In fact, in 1968, the Black Madonna shrine in Poland received over 66, 000 thank you letters for healing and other miraculous events . The meaning of Black Madonna Theories about the definition of darkness of the figure and mystery behind the dark image have been established everywhere. What Black Madonna represents is not an easy question to answer.

There is a tendency that one answer may lead to several more questions which demand plenty more explanations. One of the possible reasons for this dilemma lies in the difficulty of consciously incorporating the feminine aspect of life in a particular culture and most especially, a darker side of it. Another reason is the characteristic and nature of the dark feminine itself which clearly defies any attempt to generate limits as to what she really represents. However, no matter what many people may say and observe, the Black Madonna mirrors herself in the personal as well as collective lives of the people.

This dark side generates intimations to the most essential of meanings through the use of images, literature, works of arts and even dreams . It is noteworthy to mention that the word black can be a misnomer for some of the Madonnas because not all of them are color black in its literal sense, some of them are painted with different shades of black. The original artists of many Black Madonnas are lost in time but most people know that the most powerful representations of the Black Madonna were made during the 11th and 12th centuries.

The Shrines of the Black Madonnas are often located in the seat of great power and in the locations where the earth emits energies. From a religious perspective, the Black Madonna represents the honor and devotion of the female form. Christ, the center of Christianity is a male and it was from Mary that the church found a representative of the female specie towards divinity . Theories about the meaning of Black Madonna are often connected to the image of pre-Christian ideas and their religions.

Because the Madonna and Child looks like the Egyptian images of Isis and Horus, there is a possibility that the dark skin of the Black Madonnas may be a referene to the Egyptian roots of the image. The Dark-Skinned madoonas may likewise be based on other pre-Christian figures. There are also other theories that the Black Madonnas were made as a representation of a mother or a feminine figure by using earthly tones. This theory suggests that the light-skinned Madonnas depict purity and chastity while another theory holds that the Black Madonnas were intended to bea historically accurate imageof a Semitic woman from the Middle East named Mary.

There are some historians who said that the Black Madonnas were conceptualized after Middle Ages because during these times, the light-skinned images were the norm but regardless of what the case maybe, the Black Madonnas captured the attention of believers and non-believers for centuries . During the Victorian society, there was a time when the black female writers seemed to lean towards binding their female characters in an image of chastity because they want to overcomea heritage of concubinage.

The women then were portrayed as either a martyr or a saint and in the attempt of the writers such as Harriet Jacobs and Frances Harper to remove the stereotype of a sinful woman, they robbed the personalities of their characters of their sexual identity thereby makingthem pure and holy much like the Virgin Mary. This situation combined with the gender dilemma becomes a double jeopardy. According to Faith Pullin, the black woman faces a painful situation of the double strain of being a woman in a dominant male society and being black amidst the racial discrimination.

Novels about the early African American women talks abou the situation of double jeopardy for black women. These women are marginalized by race and gender. According to the notions of the period during that time, the true woman is a character of virtue like Madonna: pure, pious and submissive . Some theologians say that Black Madonna represents diversity. The femininity and the blackness of the Black Madonna calls men towards gender and racial diversity. This figure calls for uniformity of the masculine and feminine sex, the combination of the white and the dark goddess in order for the wholeness and unity can arise amidst the diversity.

The Black Madonna may be interpreted as a symbolism of man in the form of a metaphor as men moves towards the newreality of the modern wornd. The survival of men in this age will depend on their willingness to appreciate and understand the unity amidst the diversity . Conclusion There are plenty of images of Black Madonna that exist worldwide. Reports showthat at one time, there may have been more than 500 images that are mostly in Europe and France. In today’s world, there are many people whose interest in the Black Madonna’s have increased over the years.

Some of her most popular incarnations are found in countries from all over the globe in the form of literature, art and paintings. The Black Madonna may mean many things to many people but everyone must bear in mind that this image serves as a powerful reminder of the inspiration that it brought to the society. In her image, many people found their comforter, guide and power. She has been and always will be the feminine side of men that will never fail to shed light during trying times. Bibliography Davies, Norman. Europe: a history. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Dickson, Elinor, Woodman, Marion. Dancing in the Flames: The Dark Goddess in the Transformation of Consciousness. Toronto: Canada Publishing, 1996. Faqs. org. “Madonna, Religious”. Faqs. org. http://www. faqs. org/childhood/Ke- Me/ Madonna-Religious. html (Accessed May 6, 2010). Foster, Nikki. “What is Black Madonna? ”. WiseGeek. com. http://www. wisegeek. com/ what-is-a-black-madonna. htm (Accessed May 6, 2010). Gustafson, Fred. The Black Madonna. USA: Daion Verdag, 2008. Kaiser, Laurie. “The Black Madonna: Notions of True Womanhood from Jacobs to Hurston”. South Atlantic Review, 2008, 60 (), 97-09.

This is the first time I do the museum paper, that’s made me have a lot of mixing feeling, wondering, excited, curious… Then, I went to the internet to make some research in art works at Metropolitan Museum. Actually, I’m interested in painting for one reason is I love drawing. I made about eleven oil paintings in my whole life. My life inspired me to put my emotion into the painting, sometime it was sad, sometime it was exciting.

The value of all the painting is not just only about the drawing skill, but also the deep meaning idea the artist want to put inside the painting and the personality the artist want to present in this painting. I tried to figure out what is the best painting to write about. One Europe painting was be amazed me is the “Madonna and Child”, by Duccio di Buoninsegna, acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for $45 million, the most expensive purchase ever by the museum. I saw it online and I was so curious and wondering why this painting cost so expensive.

Then I decided to go to the museum to expand my knowledge about this painting for real. In 1963, when the “Mona Lisa” came to the Met for a month, more than a million people stood in long lines; but when I went to look at the Duccio, I was the only person in the room. To be sure, 13 and 14 century Italian paintings lack the popular of works by Leonardo or van Gogh, but I think more people will be curious about something that cost so much more what the Met had spent on any previous acquisition. To see this painting for real was so amazing!

It’s beautiful, the colors were so unique, shinning and I keep wondering how it can be maintained till nowadays. I came home and felt so hunger to research about this painting. That painting made me surprised every seconds. The “Madonna and child” by Duccio was purchased in 2004, made in tempura and gold on wood painting was made from 1295-1300. Remarkably, it has the original frame with a technique which would later become popular in Renaissance paintings. The little picture which it just measures eleven inches high by just over eight inches wide has not attracted people that would make it difficult to see.

But for real, the painting has a powerful existence with the meaning deep inside. The Virgin holds the Christ child in her left arm and looks beyond him with sad tenderness, while Jesus touching His mother’s veil, and the Virgin’s distant expression. Why Mary was so sad? Perhaps, the sadness in knowing that her only beget son will someday die for the sins of mankind. The subject about biblical was painted by Duccio in a very unique manner for his time. The artist rejected the flat expression of earthly and heavenly beings that was the style of Byzantine art.

We are at the beginning of what we think of as Western art; elements of the Byzantine style still linger—in the gold background, the Virgin’s boneless and elongated fingers, and the child’s unchildlike features – but the colors of their clothing are so miraculously maintained, and the sense of human intercommunication is so convincing, that the two figures seem to exist in a real space, and in real time. However, The rigid line of Mary’s shoulder and her long nose out of Byzantine art. It testifies to a Jesus as a human child, capable of fancy, rebellion, and love.

It also testifies to a prematurely independent Jesus, able to sit up straight and to offer a regal blessing. Gold testifies further to the icon’s value, its function, and its subject matter. Imagine, in fact, the gold represent to a god. Right away, the work signals at its closeness to the viewer, but also its larger-than-life subject. In this way, it brings the divine into the lives of its beholders. Duccio di Buoninsegna was born in Siena, Tuscany in about 1256. He was one of the most influential artists of his time along with that other great master from Tuscany, Cimabue.

He spent almost his entire working life in Siena. Despite not having a great deal of information about his personal life, we do know that he fathered at least seven children and that he died in 1318 or 1319. Duccio achieves the same end in a different way: he creates not just an image, but also an object. Over time, images became more and more powerful. Artists used the illusion of real life to break through walls. The more real art became, the more it became larger than life. It took Modernism’s rediscovery of the art object to return painting to earth. Duccio anticipated the puzzle of the imaginary.

That aim helps account for his impulse toward the decorative. It drives the unexpected delicacy of his image. He has a softer, more personal range of color than one expects from a conservative icon, as in the robe on the infant Jesus. Duccio’s combination of the familiar, the divine, and the decorative extends to the image, too. When is the painting not just only the painting but also the signature of something else. The “Madonna and child” was the last known Duccio still in private hands inspired me so much. But I keep asking myself why just only the lack of people know about the real value of this painting?