Trinità de Masaccio Renacimiento El Auriga del Arte

Hello, dear fellow artenauts, Welcome to a new episode of The Origin of Art. Today I want to talk to you about a fascinating moment in the history of art, which is none other than the origin, The principles of the Renaissance in Italy. At the beginning of the 15th century, they gathered in Florence, by the whims of fate, a group of young artists thirsty for knowledge, eager to learn, great admirers of art and classical culture, and also eager to recover and spread that classical culture. One often speaks of a triad of great artists, Who are Filippo Brunelleschi, in architecture? especially, although he was also a goldsmith and sculptor, Donato di Niccolò, Donatello, in sculpture and Tommaso di Sergiovanni di Mone Casai, his name was, more commonly known as Masaccio, in painting, Who is it that I want to talk to you about today. Specifically, we are going to talk about one of his most famous works, What is this from a fresco? located in the church of Santa Maria Novella, in Florence none other than the Trinity, or Trinity of this famous Massaccio. If you're interested, keep watching. Let's go! The truth is that I could speak about this painting from here, from the studio, and with photographs, with reproductions, but it's much cooler to go there and feel the emotion of being in front of the artwork. So, guys, girls, We're going to Florence and Santa Maria Novella. See you there! Until then! Well, friends, then we are already here in front of one of the most important frescoes Of all the history of art, What is this Trinity by Masaccio? Masaccio, who was one of the pioneers from the Renaissance in Florence, and died very young, Born in 1401 and died in 1428. This work is from the end of his life, between 1425 and the year of his death. Therefore, it is his absolute masterpiece, together also with the frescoes of the Cappella Brancacci. This fresco was discovered or rediscovered in the 19th century. after having remained hidden for several centuries behind altars like these that we are seeing here, with other paintings and altar tables that had been placed in the 16th century. Here, when one of those altars was removed for its restoration, they discovered this gem, this genuine masterpiece by Masaccio what we are going to describe below. At the bottom, also painted in fresco, We found a kind of sarcophagus, Well, yes, a tomb, with the fresco painting as well, of a skeleton and an inscription that is quite, well, threatening, we could say. It's in Italian and, as you can see, I was the one who you are. And what fool are you still going to be. That is, I was what you are And I am what you will become. That is, it is a memento mori, a reminder that you must die. and that all of us are going to end up like me, Dead and reduced to bones. Regarding this representation of death We have already found the first characters of the scene of the Trinity itself. First of all, the donors, as you can see, they are flanking on either side of the scene on a kind of shelf or first step And then we have the figures of the Virgin and Saint John. who are contemplating the Son of the First, that is, Christ crucified. Behind Christ stands the figure of God the Father. And between their heads we find the Dove of the Holy Spirit. Together, therefore, they form the Trinity. The entire ensemble is framed within a classical architectural style. It is inspired by the Triumphal Arches and also in Roman architecture and it is precisely the opposite of what we see, for example, in the Flavian Amphitheater, or Colosseum of Rome. We found semi-circular arches over piers. And upon them appears a cladding of columns with entablature, with vertical part. And here it is the opposite; here we have semi-circular arches atop columns, As you can see, the Ionic columns, which are painted, are not real. But, well, they pretend to be this architecture and, above all else, we find these pillars or piers with the entablature, which is this horizontal part. Therefore, it is a similar scheme, but in the opposite way to what Roman architecture used to do. But, gentlemen, let us now turn to the most important matter, to what is truly extraordinary, What is the stunning perspective representation of the entire scene. Practically, Masaccio has virtually pierced through illusionistically to bore through the wall to create an entire interior space with many different depth levels. Let us note that, first of all, we would have this sarcophagus What would be protruding from the wall with those columns? Yes, well, the skeleton itself would come toward us. Everything else is already penetrating inward. The first step where man and woman, the donors, are located the contractors of the work, in a space now deeper, more inward we would find Christ crucified between the Virgin and Saint John, God the Father is already on a shelf that is still behind. Yes, let's note that all of this is behind that arch. We found a barrel vault with coffers that had not yet been seen during the Renaissance. Later, this will become evident in other works, for example, those of Leon Battista Alberti. And it had been seen, of course, in Roman art and in Romanesque art. But notice that it is a barrel vault with coffers completely illusory, that does not exist, that is all painted. And at the far end, we see that other reddish arc, after which, once again, a still deeper vault is located It would be a dome of a furnace or a spherical room. I am going to project simulations for you. What has been done to recreate or reconstruct this space? It is something absolutely marvelous, a massive dome, apparently with the help of Brunelleschi which was also studying those laws of linear perspective, the geometric perspective, which would later develop extensively throughout the 480s and 580s, but Masacho, for the first time, uses that perspective to create this optical illusion, Today we would call it a trompe l'oeil, a trick of the eye, Because that's what it really is. And he has achieved this by simulating the real viewpoint. from a spectator, who I am right now What have I put in place where practically all this illusion is created. The figures are life-sized, natural in scale, And everything seems to be entering inward with this magical and wonderful perspective. To emphasize the sensation of relief, depth, and space, therefore, from tridimensionality, we find this shading, Notice how it gives us the illusion, for example, of that cornice, with shadows, that frieze, that entablature, the architrave, Hey, are those little curved triangles you're talking about? There are some shells, they seem to deepen as well, Look how masterfully they have also been portrayed the Corinthian capitals of these pilasters, or composite ones, the grooves of the pilasters themselves, and also the Ionic capitals of these other columns, Everything with a level of perspective perfection truly impressive. Moreover, bicromy has been used throughout the entire composition, Notice that the two predominant colors are blue and red. that is already visible in that alternation of colors in the recesses of this false barrel vault, also in the attire of God the Father, in the arches, for example, which are red, even the figures of the Virgin and Saint John, and from the donors, which are alternately red and blue. These colors create contrasts to enhance chromaticity. and the illusion of depth and space What does this masterful fresco by Masacho convey? an influential figure for the entire subsequent history of art. Well, friends, that was all about the Masacho Trinity, In Florence, if you liked the video, you know what to do—click the Like button. and, of course, if you haven't already done so Subscribe to the channel, Origa del Arte. Until the next chapter, friends.