"Madonna and child" by Fra Fillippo Lippi vs. 'Madonna enthroned with saints and angels" by Agnolo Gaddi I want to start out by saying in terms of being a friar, Fra Fillippo Lippi was pretty shitty, which is hilarious. One of my favorite stories about him would have to be the time Cosimo de Medici who was supporting him at the time locked him in a room so he could concentrate on the works he'd been commissioned to do. Lippi however had other plans, and escaped this room using his bedsheets that he tied together (yes... like in cartoons). Oh and he low key knocked up a nun... then kidnapped her (the nunnery had to ask for him to give her back). Anyways he sucked at being a Friar but luckily for him, he was good at painting. I put his Madonna next to this other one by Agnolo Gaddi to highlight the evolution in painting from the late medieval period to the early renaissance, especially in regards to how babies (jesus) and women were portrayed. Painters were not allowed to use children or women as models at the time, so they used adult men instead. Obviously grown men don't look like babies (or most women) so we end up with the incredibly ugly and hilarious baby paintings characteristic of medieval art. The renaissance brought with it many many changes, notably an interest in science and anatomy which led to more accurate depictions of people and even *gasp* visible emotions! Notice how shading (or chiaroscuro) is being used in Lippi's piece, adding another element of realism. I have a thing for bad baby paintings and midieval art is really, really good at them... can you find any? Feel free to send them over! #art #dc #nationalgallery #nationalgalleryofart #renaissance #renaissanceart #midievalart #arthistory #artcommentary (at National Gallery of Art)