Art History

In the 14th century, Italy went through the most devastating disaster in european history known as the Black Death. In a span of five years 25 to 50 percent of the population was eliminated. The Black Death, also known as the bubonic plague had a significant effect on art. “ It stimulated religious bequests and encouraged the commissioning of devotional images.” (pg.406). Artists during this time were focusing on works that dealt with death and sickness, and the natural world. This period after the Black Death was known as the renaissance, meaning re-birth. Some examples of this art include Giottos Lamentation, Duccio Di Buoninsegna’s Betrayal of Jesus, and the Triumph of Death by Francesco Traini or Buonamico.

The first known renaissance painter was Giotto. His paintings were more about emotion and naturalistic representation. In lamentation, you can clearly see everyone in the fresco sobbing over the death of christ. John the Evangelist is dramatically throwing his arms back, Mary is cradling her son sobbing, the angels above are crying. You can clearly see the emotion in the fresco which makes it a good example of art after the Black Death. Its representing death, and the emotion it causes. Duccio Di Buoninsegnas Betrayal of jesus shows a variety of emotions unlike Giottos works. In this painting you can see Judas’s false kiss, Peter cutting off the ear of the priests servant, and the disciples fleeing in terror. Even though it doesn’t involve death, its showing people in fear. His approach to art differed from Giottos, but is still a good example of art after the Black Death because no one in this painting is happy. The emotion of the painting is fear and pain. Last, the triumph of death shows the horrors associated with death and makes you confront your mortality. It shows the different stages of decomposition, and the women in the painting are horrified by the fact of death.Therefore the Black Death had a big effect of art, and changed