View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/distorting-madonna-in-medieval-art-james-earle After Rome was destroyed, people were wary of attachment to physical beauty. As Christianity gained...
========== Translator: Andrea McDonough
Reviewer: Bedirhan CinarEver see a medieval painting of baby Jesussitting or standing on his mother's lapand wonder why she's so large?Paintings like Cimabue's enthroned Madonna with angelsor Duccio's Maestaalso appear out of proportion.If Mary were to stand up, it seems,the angels in the picture would be as tall as her shin bone,and her torso would be disproportionately smallwhen compared to her legs.Maybe you thought the artist simply wasn't skilled enoughto paint realisticallyor lacked the mathematical skill of perspective.But that's not the full story.To understand why, we need to go backto the late fifth centurywhen the city of Rome was attacked by the Goths.Rome was built in marble and m...
