By Kaelie Macaulay
Staff Writer
With a touch of gold, the revolutionary Giovanni di Paolo, a renaissance artist, still amazes the artistic community with his incredible talent, intelligence, and thoughtfulness represented in his paintings.
Giovanni di Paolo’s masterpieces continue to be a phenomenon in the newest Getty exhibit; “The Shimmer of Gold”. With dynamic colors, glistening gold, flawless linework and an interpretive style, Giovanni di Paolo impresses with his canvas art.
Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia was an Italian painter during the 17th century renaissance who generally worked from Siena, Italy. Giovanni’s paintings capture the mystery, as well as the conservative methods, of religious Gothic paintings. Many of his pieces were set in a dreamy, surreal atmosphere.
Displayed the piece in a small gallery with an array of artists, Giovanni’s Branchini Madonna was presented with a gleaming spotlight on an elevated platform. With the use of a gloss called tempera, the masterpiece is painted delicately on a gold leaf and is still in great condition and even with the artificial light, Branchini Madonna was the most popular piece.
Down to every last brushstroke, Giovanni displays a comprehension and mastery of his color palette. Since the resources were limited in the renaissance era, Giovanni’s transformation of earthy minerals to vibrant paints is nothing less than genius. From pastels to vivid blue and red tones, Giovanni di Paolo utilizes his palette with immense precision, exemplifying his talent.
The clever addition of gold illuminates the works of art in miraculous ways that would not have been attainable without the shimmering element. The natural light casted onto the gold, as well as the addition of translucent paint, forms a glistening halo around his paintings. By using gold in his paintings, Giovanni di Paolo cleverly demands attention with the energizing, natural light of gold.
The religious paintings are riddled with multi-dimensional, puzzling, and intriguing connotations. Giovanni di Paolo incorporates all small details in his paintings to render meaning; every gold fleck and splash of color is open to a thoughtful interpretation. He immersed himself into his paintings and represents his views, cleverness, and the mastery of his craft in his understanding of spacing, light and color.
The Getty Center features “Branchini Madonna” by Giovanni di Paolo, a piece that portrays the virgin, Madonna, as the ‘Queen of Heaven’. “Branchini Madonna,” was originally hung in the Branchini family chapel in the Church of San Domenico, but is now featured at the “Shimmer of Gold Exhibit.” Video courtesy of The Met via Youtube.
The eye immediately is drawn to his paintings because of their shine, light, and the impeccable knowledge hidden in the paintings. Giovanni’s ability to capture the viewer’s attention with ease, sets him above other renaissance artists.
Giovanni’s expertise in his craft is represented in his ability to integrate gold flecks into his artwork. By including gems and minerals like gold and silver, his artwork, he utilizes his intelligence to further improve his art. He cleverly combines earth and art onto a single canvas which further emphasizes his artistic gift.
As a whole, Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia is a diverse, revolutionary, idealist artist who immersed himself in his pieces in order to make the best painting possible. His paintings continue to impress scholars and people worldwide and will carry on for generations to come.
Giovanni di Paolo’s Shimmer of Gold Exhibit is available for free viewing in the North Pavilion of the Getty Center.
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