Comparisons :: essays papers

Comparisons Gerard David and Mary Cassatt both are remarkable artists who has influenced artists today. Gerard David was born in 1455 in the Netherlands (Oudewater). Mary Cassatt was born in 1861 in Pennsylvania. Even though they were born at different times, their paintings show the relationship between mother and child. David painted Virgin and Child With Four Angels in 1510. The type of canvas used was wood with oil paint. The wood has a rectangular shape. The Virgin and Child characters that were reproduced from a painting by Jan van Eyck, who influenced David when he settled in Bruges in 1484. In the foreground there are six figures. The mother, child and the four angels. The mother has brown hair and is wearing a red robe. She is also in the center of the painting. She has a dismal look on her face, while holding her child tightly. The mother depicts the Virgin Mary. The child is naked in the mother's arms looking at the viewer. The child represents Jesus and innocence. To the left and right of the mother there are two angels. One is playing a harp and the other is playing a banjo. The one playing the harp is wearing a black robe. Black can represent the darkness or evil. The other angel playing the banjo is wearing a white grayish robe. The white grayish color can represent the purity and good side. Their facial expressions look as if they are sad. The other two angels are above the mother and child. They both are holding a crown over the mother and child. The angels holding the crown symbolizes the war between good and evil. In the middle ground and background there are churches, gardens, and mountains. The colors mainly used are forest green, brown, white and beige color to highlight certain aspects of the painting. The churches in the painting are from Sint-Jakobs and Onze-Lieve-Vrouw. The mood of the piece is melancholy. It is shown in the facial expressions of each character. Looking at the painting I really couldn't tell where David started his work. I think he started with the background first and everything came after. Mary Cassatt painted a Young Mother Sewing on a rectangular canvas. She also used oil paint like Gerard David did. In the foreground, the young child in the painting was wearing a white and sky blue dress.