Renaissance and Early Twentieth Century Art Offer

Renaissance and early twentieth century art offer an interesting study in comparison because of their distinctive styles. It is the objective of this paper to describe the definitive characteristics of each period through comparing Raphael's Alba Madonna to Salvador Dali's The Persistence of Memory. Renaissance art is reputed for the unified balance achieved between pictorial considerations of measurable space and the effects of light and color on the one hand, and the artist's personal expression on the other (Pioch, 2002).

This unity is evident in Raphael's Alba Madonna, a painting that represents the artist's unique style of sweetness of expression. The painting is remarkable because of the manner in which Raphael has succeeded in addressing a serious subject within a backdrop of a serene countryside.

Indeed, it can be said that he was able to do this precisely because of the use of symmetry, namely, the round format that succeeds in focusing attention on the child Christ accepting the slender reed cross, a symbol of his fate (National Gallery of Art, 2004). In contrast, Salvador Dali's The Persistence of Memory carries all the hallmarks of early twentieth century art, which was known for expending all its energies into modern art forms, appropriate to the industrial age.

However, Dali's work typifies a group of artists who held the industrial age and its mass produced goods in contempt. Indeed, this is evident in the stylized exaggeration of limp watches set in a bleak landscape with the metal attracting ants like decaying flesh. The surrealist depiction of the monstrous fleshy creature in the center of the painting is also typical of modern art, which often leaves the interpretation of the artist's meaning to the viewer (MoMa, 2004).

A comparison of the two works reveals the use of techniques of proportion and light by both artists. The intended messages of both paintings are also unmistakable. However, while the details of Raphael's work are easy to interpret, the use of surrealism by Dali calls for a far more labored analysis. Indeed,.