Journal of Time Travling Historian
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- Date Submitted: 10/10/2010 05:55 PM
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Journal of the Time Traveling Art Historian
HUM 205
July 4, 2010
May 9, 1483
As I step out of the early 21st century and into Italy in the late fifteenth century I cannot believe my eyes. I am standing in the presence of Leonardo da Vinci. He is painting a portrait of four figures, two adults, and two infants. I sit and watch his every stroke, waiting for the moment he completes this magnificent piece of art. Once he has finished I finally can ask him about this masterpiece.
“In this painting I use two styles called chiaroscuro, using light and dark in space, and sftumato, making an outline smoky or hazy. I am fascinated with nature and all its aspects and have depicted Mary, her son Jesus, Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist and his mother deep in a grotto filled with stalactites and stalagmites. The grotto acts as the womb of the earth as Mary is the womb of eternity. I call this piece Madonna of the Rocks (Benton & DiYanni, 2008)!”
I am in a trance and cannot stop staring at this piece of art. I am thinking to myself what a peculiar place to paint such religious figures, but I finally understand his logic behind it. Leonardo bids me goodbye and walks away into the night. Tomorrow I will be jumping ahead 16 years to explore the Renaissance some more.
September 8, 1499
Today I had another run in with the work of Leonardo da Vinci. He is nowhere to be found but I have come across his notebooks that describe the work it took to make this masterpiece he calls The Last Supper.
“I have chosen to depict the moment when Jesus announces that one of his apostles will betray him and the apostles respond with an array of facial expressions…. I will place Judas, his betrayer, to sit with Peter and John directly to Jesus’ left and he will be clenching a bag of money….I am trying to find a way to depict the intention of Man’s soul but I am finding it to be difficult….The prior is in such a hurry to see my works but I have yet two heads to finish, Jesus and...
HUM 205
July 4, 2010
May 9, 1483
As I step out of the early 21st century and into Italy in the late fifteenth century I cannot believe my eyes. I am standing in the presence of Leonardo da Vinci. He is painting a portrait of four figures, two adults, and two infants. I sit and watch his every stroke, waiting for the moment he completes this magnificent piece of art. Once he has finished I finally can ask him about this masterpiece.
“In this painting I use two styles called chiaroscuro, using light and dark in space, and sftumato, making an outline smoky or hazy. I am fascinated with nature and all its aspects and have depicted Mary, her son Jesus, Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist and his mother deep in a grotto filled with stalactites and stalagmites. The grotto acts as the womb of the earth as Mary is the womb of eternity. I call this piece Madonna of the Rocks (Benton & DiYanni, 2008)!”
I am in a trance and cannot stop staring at this piece of art. I am thinking to myself what a peculiar place to paint such religious figures, but I finally understand his logic behind it. Leonardo bids me goodbye and walks away into the night. Tomorrow I will be jumping ahead 16 years to explore the Renaissance some more.
September 8, 1499
Today I had another run in with the work of Leonardo da Vinci. He is nowhere to be found but I have come across his notebooks that describe the work it took to make this masterpiece he calls The Last Supper.
“I have chosen to depict the moment when Jesus announces that one of his apostles will betray him and the apostles respond with an array of facial expressions…. I will place Judas, his betrayer, to sit with Peter and John directly to Jesus’ left and he will be clenching a bag of money….I am trying to find a way to depict the intention of Man’s soul but I am finding it to be difficult….The prior is in such a hurry to see my works but I have yet two heads to finish, Jesus and...