Tribute Money by Masaccio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tribute Money by Masaccio - Essay Example Matthew, kneeling in the far left, deliberately replies strangers. The tax collectors confront the group of holy men. Masaccio’s purpose was to create a realistic painting that contained natural aspects of the environment as well as the human composition. He focuses on directing the viewer’s eyes to the vanishing point of the painting, the head of Christ. Masaccio used atmospheric perspective, making all the mountains in the background hazy and Peter to be paler than the figures in the foreground. This technique created a depth within the painting to render Realism. It is difficult to see the cuts of the mountains in the background but the folds of the robesin the foreground are easily distinguishable. Masaccio, unlike earlier artists like Giotto, did not use a flat, neutral light from an unidentifiable source. He used light from a specific location outside the painting to create a chiaroscuro effect, the representation of form through light and color without outlines. There is no light source visible within the picture but if the viewer notices the shadows of the figures, they are al l cast away from the chapel. This makes the viewer believe the figures were lit by the light through the chapel window. Masaccio proves this belief by creating the front two columns brighter than the rest of the chapel. Furthermore, the tax collector on the far right and the chapel wall is extremely dark. In general, all figures and objects become gradually dimmer as the viewer looks to the right. Masaccio uses the composition of his figures to create a three-dimensional world to depict reality. Masaccio’s figures in the foreground are large, solid figures that dominate the natural setting before the lake and mountains. In contrast, he uses soft hand gestures and facial expressions rather than swift actions to show movements within the painting. This emphasizes