The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC is home to some of the most beautiful and talented works of art to ever exist. The Gallery features thousands and thousands of works of art, around four thousand of which are paintings. You can discover brilliant paintings by American and European artists from the Renaissance to the present day. Throughout this essay, I intend to figuratively enter the Gallery and dissect one of his finest works through a variety of sources. The work I am going to talk about is The Crucifixion by Paolo Veneziano. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayHowever, first the artist himself Paolo Veneziano. Veneziano can also be called Paolo Da Venezia. “In the last years of Paolo Veneziano he had many assistants, among them his sons Luca and Giovanni, and it is difficult to determine which paintings are by the master himself and which were painted by members of his workshop. There are a number of signed and dated works by Paolo Veneziano that may give him credit. Paolo's style was based on the late Byzantine tradition; he seems to have had some knowledge of contemporary Rimese painting, and his more advanced works indicate that he was deeply influenced by Gothic art. He can be considered the founder of the Venetian school and his influence was deeply felt throughout the 14th century. Many considered Paolo Veneziano the most influential artist of the 14th century. He obtained this title thanks to his ownership of the Venetian school. Paolo was the son and brother of two artists, but his name was the only one that stuck with the public. His fame is marked by several commissions for the most important churches in Venice, works in the territories of the Venetian mainland, churches in Bologna and cities on the Adriatic coast. The Renaissance is an era in European culture where rebirth occurs. The “renaissance” aspect took place in Europe on cultural, artistic, political and economic levels. It began in the late Middle Ages. Thus, this period extends from the 14th to the 17th century, “and favors the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature and art”. The Crucifixion was created between 1340 and 1345. Depending on which country you are talking about, the Renaissance varies in its origin and end dates. In Italy, for example, the Renaissance began in the 14th century and lasted until the 17th century. However, in France, the Renaissance began in the 15th century and ended at the beginning of the 17th century. The Crucifixion was created between 1340 and 1345, so technically it is not from the Renaissance. The term “Proto-Renaissance” is used in Fine Arts to designate a work of art that appeared before the Renaissance. It classifies works of art created between 1300 and the start of the Renaissance in 1400. This work was produced in tempera on panel. Tempera on panel was the main medium of choice in the early Renaissance for paintings on woodwork. “Any pigment dipped with a water-soluble binder such as egg yolk, mucus (egg white), gum arabic, or animal glue is called tempera paint. The tempera technique involves mixing egg yolk with base color pigments to form an emulsion. which can be diluted with water and applied with a brush. The resulting paint was carefully built up in thin layers and dried to a hard matte finish. It is a technique suited to the use of graceful lines, soft tones and a limited palette of delicate colors. The tempera had a greaterluminosity and greater depth of tone than fresco, but less brilliance and intensity than oil painting. Its main drawback, however, was its fast drying time, which made it very difficult to blend tones smoothly. Painting through Tempura was a complex task but nothing Veneziano couldn't handle. The Crucifixion of Jesus has been a popular subject in the arts since before the pagan Roman Empire. The story of Jesus happening here is his death by crucifixion. In this case, the crucifixion involves a person, Jesus, being nailed or tied to a wooden beam cross. Here Jesus is nailed. This particular incident also occurs on the city walls of Jerusalem. Above Jesus, angels collect the blood from his wounds. On the left, there is a group of four women. In the center is Mary, mother of Jesus. Those next to her serve as support as she mourns the death of her son. Beneath the cross kneels Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene was a Jewish woman and one of his disciples, who witnessed his death. Then, to the right of the cross, four men stand. The first next to the cross is Saint John the Evangelist. Next to him are a series of soldiers. What will ultimately happen is that Jesus will bleed to death. In other cases, those who stay here end up dying from exhaustion or asphyxiation. It was a form of cruel punishment well known in the Christian faith. As mentioned previously, Veneziano's works have been recognized for their Byzantine and Gothic style influences. This particular work was clearly influenced by Byzantine and Gothic styles. These elements are most evident in Veneziano's choice of iconography and in his general style. The National Gallery of Art does an excellent job of highlighting specific areas of influence, she says: “This panel, for example, shows the Crucifixion taking place in front of the crenellated walls of Jerusalem. Floating angels collect Christ's blood and Adam's skull lies buried beneath the rock of Golgotha. All these details are found in Byzantine representations. The Fainting Virgin and Kneeling Mary Magdalene, on the other hand, are derived from Western European depictions. In terms of style, Paolo's painting straddles both traditions, combining the abstraction of Byzantine icons with the softer modeling and more dynamic poses of Western art. This being considered, it can be understood that its style is largely Byzantine, however, other elements may suggest a Gothic/Western influence. This work is incredibly small for me. When I was confronted with all the different works of art in the National Gallery of Art, this particular piece didn't shock me until I approached it. For example, just in the room above is the altarpiece of Saint Anne. The St. Anne altarpiece measures 92 15/16 x 29 13/16 inches, extremely large and it towers over me. The Crucifixion measures only 14 5/8 x 17 7/8 x 2 1/4 inches where I tower over it so their sizes cannot be compared. However, what the sizes can tell us is where these pieces would have been located. One would think that the Saint Anne altarpiece would be on a high altar of a church due to its immense presence. The Crucifixion is too small to stand alone on the high altar and make an impact. Hundreds of years ago, most paintings like The Crucifixion were part of altarpieces. This piece is actually believed to be the apex of a mobile triptych/portable altarpiece. "Originally, this painting had a vaulted top whose outline is still found in the different appearance of the gilding, which shows that the angles would much later transform the panel into.