Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Madonna on The Rocks

Da Vinci's Painting of The Virgin on the Rocks has been extremely controversial. 


There were two versions painted of it, the first being considered the prime version hangs in The Louvre in Paris. The second, is in the National Gallery in London

both show the Madonna and the Child Jesus with the infant John the Baptist and an angel in a rocky setting which gives the paintings their usual name. The significant compositional differences are in the gaze and right hand of the angel. There are many minor ways in which the works differ, including the colours, the lighting, the flora, and the way in which sfumato has been used. Although the date of an associated commission is documented, the complete histories of the two paintings are unknown, and lead to speculation about which of the two is earlier. Why did he paint a second version? My theory is that the Roman catholic church was not too happy when they laid their eyes on the first painting, because what it had depicted was a dark and disturbing vision of what they had asked for. Not only that but it is not a depiction of mary and her son jesus, rather Jesus's Bloodline.  The child in the Louvre Version next to mary looks like a female. When the second version was commissioned both children were made to look more "Masculine" And i believe the Catholic church didnt want it to be known that in the first painting he had painted Mary, and her child Sara. With the angel and John the baptist both acknowledging Sara, not the other way around. What do you think?

                                 First Version                                                        Second Version




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