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Introduction
Ognissanti Madonna is an altarpiece that Giotto created in c. 1300-05. It was his only painting and was explicitly meant for the church of the Ognissanti in Florence. Although the painting was undocumented, it was universally accepted by scholars. Before creating the painting, the Humiliati, a religious order, did not have anything laid for the audience to see as a symbol of majesty as queen of heaven (Coats 2). On the other hand, the Basilica of Saint-Denis is a gothic architecture created by Abbot Suger in Paris from 1140 to 1144 (Leschot 5). The east end of the church, over the ancient crypt, focuses on the apse and ambulatory called the choir. The place was too sacred, whereby its renovation was to be after the death of Suger. Before the creation of the choir, there was no sign of the divine in the church of Saint-Denis (Leschot 8). Generally, the creation of the Ognissanti Madonna and Saint-Denis Basilica shaped the religion in the 13th and 11th centuries.
France and Italys Values
Italy revered and needed Norman conquerors such as Roger I and II of Sicily during the Middle Ages to continue conquering. When Roger II made himself the King, he united all the Norma territories. The local people and Pope disapproved of his ascending to power. When the Pope died, Roger contributed to the election of an Antipope who crowned him as the King (Kuhn 5). Immediately after this, the legitimate Pope was supported by the imperial armies, and they started the campaign of conquering Southern Italy. After multiple wars, the Normans were eventually successful, and Pope Innocent II recognized them as the rulers of southern Italy. This is a clear indication that during the middle age before the creation of Ognissanti Madonna, Italy valued power struggle through the help of religious leaders. On the other hand, before the creation of Saint-Denis, France valued and found the breakdown of royal authority critical, simultaneously with economic expansion and population growth. This was crucial to France because numerous epidemics and other disruptions had severely affected the country. Both France and Italy valued and found power struggles during the middle ages.
At the time of Ognissanti Madonna, Italys values were to extend its city-states and authority to become completely independent of the Holy Roman Empire. The creation of the Ognissanti Madonna supported the countrys values because it showed that more minor religions such as Humiliati were becoming independent by creating paintings that symbolized holiness (Kuhn 4). On the other hand, Frances values during the creation of Saint-Denis were vibrant cultural production extended in most of Western Europe that included transforming Romanesque architecture to Gothic art. Therefore, the building of St. Denis Basilica supported the countrys values as it was reconstructing the church to make it a Gothic skill that would provide a model for ecclesiastical structure in the entire middle age (Leschot 12). Although Ognissanti Madonna and St. Denis Basilica have different purposes, they have similar characteristics of supporting their respective countries values. Therefore, these two works are crucial to their religions and various countries.
Understanding and Development of Human Nature and Aspiration
The Ognissanti Madonna adds to our understanding and development of human nature and aspirations through the religious teaching it conveys. A virgin holding a child with his right hand delivering a blessing and his left hand holding a rolled scroll symbolizing wisdom can be seen in the painting. Further on, a pointed tabernacle surrounds the throne, with various colored marble and gothic art typical of the 1300s. (Coats 10). Inside the tabernacle, there is a gathering of angels and saints. The kneeling of the angels at the foot of the throne provides vases of roses and lilies, which shows charity and purity. The sideways angels who are holding out the crow and a pyx show a religious item that refers to the passion of Christ. These teachings enhance the understanding and development of human nature and the aspiration that happened when the artwork was being created.
On the other hand, the second phase of St. Denis adds to the understanding of the development of human nature and aspiration through its importance to the kings of France. The choirs main important edifice marked the transformation from the Romanesque to gothic art used in the upcoming ages (Leschot 11). Since it was rebuilding, it also left behind numerous literacy resources concerning its rebuilding. Additionally, remarks on the desired outcomes of height and lights show a new structure that still impresses those who visit the Basilica today. Although the reconstruction of the choir had its significance during the Middle Ages, its impacts and teaching were communicating something new about the allegedly first bishop of Paris. In addition, the artwork affected future constructions as renovations were done after the death of Suger. The artwork influenced the building of schools named after and sponsored by the church. This is a clear indication that the work changed the construction and naming of schools in the future.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both artworks have similar purposes depending on their worlds. The primary purpose of these artworks was to support the values of their respective countries. Another goal identical to the artwork is completely changing their worlds immediately after being constructed. Additionally, the artworks are similar to those existing during the Middle Ages, when power struggle was valued most. On the other hand, the main difference between the two artworks is that one is a painting and the other one is gothic architecture. In general, the two artworks have the same set of values that impact religions, and they have a historical link between them because they were created during the Middle Ages.
Works Cited
Coats, Emily. The Impact of Patronage on Contemporary Visual Arts. Georgia Southern University, 2019, pp. 1-18, Web.
Kuhn, Maria Diane. Mother Mary Comes To Me: The Stylistic Shift In Portrayals Of Mary And Her Adoration In Medieval Italy. Diss. Kent State University, 2021, pp. 1-101, Web.
Leschot, Elodie. The Abbey of Saint-Denis and the Coronation of the King of France. Arts, Vol 9, No. 4, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2020, pp. 1-15, Web.
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