Chapter Seven: Artist Contrast 1

In chapter seven the two paintings “young woman with a Gold Pectoral” From Fayun in 100-150 C.E. and “The School of Athens” painted by Raphael in 1510-11 caught my eye.

First off, “Young Woman with a Gold Pectoral” is an encaustic painting and is part of the reason why this painting is so interesting. This medium involves wax that is melted, mixed with pigment, and then painted, creating layers of varying thickness upon the painting surface. The textbooks likens it to wax candle drippings. Then, heat is applied swept over the final painting to further ensure the different hues blending. This Technique works well in “Young Woman with a Gold Pectoral” The colors are beautiful more natural and earthy tones as opposed to the flashy colors often seen nowadays. The subjects eyes are huge and dark, very much like the saying “mirrors to the soul”. This is part of the reason it caught my attention despite being what appears to be a simple portrait.

Although the color choice in Raphael’s “the School of Athens” are very similar to “Young Woman with a Gold Pectoral” with earthy tones of browns and beiges, the painting itself is very different.
Rather than being an encaustic painting, it is a Fresco, a painting done on still-damp plaster and whereas most mediums are still changeable after being put down, Fresco’s are permanent.
This particular beautiful mural features an entire group of people instead of just a simple portrait and focuses primarily on the depiction of the Greek Philosophers Plato and Aristotle .

Whereas “Young Woman with a Gold Pectoral” Her eyes could be mirrors into her soul, I think Raphael’s mural presents a different kind of mirror: a mirror into the mind. This is only strengthened by the appearance of the two well known philosophers.

Overall Both paintings are beautiful and stunning. The simplicity and textural quality of “Young Woman with a Gold Pectoral” grants the painting a unique quality and despite being anything but simple, Raphael’s stunning mural is not to be out done as it opens up into the great city of Athens.