LileiaOlson ARTH205 Genially 2

Source text: John 19:41"At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid." Analysis: Bronzino sticks to the source text's decription of the setting of the scene, including crucifixes in the background atop the hill and flowers near the feet of Jesus and Mary to show the garden is near the crucifixtion site. The entire composition of the piece shows multiple scenes. Including the crosses on the hill references John 19, while also also creating a text-accurate setting for the main scene of John 20. In referencing both scenes in the one piece, he begins the storyline that travels down the length of the painting.

Setting

Source Text: John 20:14-15 "At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.... Thinking he was the gardener," Analysis: In the painting, Jesus is depicted nearly nude. Aside for the shovel that he holds, it is unlikely that he would be mistaken for a gardener. While this may be more accurate to how he would appear directly after exiting his tomb, I beleive that the choice to diverge from the source text is due to a lingering interest in classical antiquity and heroic nudes as the Mannerism movement comes to a close. It also is a clear emphasis on Christ's body and its sacredness, possibly to ease the grief for hte viewers in the funerary chapel, allowing them to see the reflection of their loved ones who passed in Christ.

Depiction of Christ

Source text: John 20:11-12 "As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot." Analysis: The figures behind Mary Magdalene are assumed to be the angels described in the source text, yet they are not clearly depicted as angels. They are not wearing the specified white, and they do not resemble the winged angel above them. They may have been added to add to the drama of the scene, with their shocked expressions and poses. Or, they may be a different figure entirely, as Bronzino again creates a singular composition for multiple scenes.

Angels

Source Text: John 20: 17 "Jesus said, 'Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’'" Analysis: The posing of Christ is an accurate depiction of the verbal conversation in the source text, while also fitting within the alterations made in the painting. Jesus is gesturing up, both towards the Father and towards the group of disciples located in the upper right near the tomb. while also leaning away from Mary Magdalene's open arms. This pose is Bronzino's to visual depiction the verbal commands of Jesus by using the storyline that is created in the composition of the piece. Additionally, Christ is in a controposto pose, remnant of the Mannerist movement wrapping up as the Counter-Reformation moves in.

Christ's pose

Source Text: John 20:3-4 "So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first." Analysis: Bronzino includes the scene in which the disciples find Jesus missing from the tomb in the upper right. As with the crosses in the upper left, this is to create a storyline within the composition, leading up to the main scene. However, this particular alteration of the source text poses an issue, as it places Mary and Jesus away from the opening of the tomb as described in the source text. There is also an angel in this mini-scene, the figure in the front of the group with wings and facing away from the viewer.. It seems that this angel is the one to show the disciples the empty tomb rather than Mary Magdalene, likely so as to not include two depications of her in the same composition. The alteration does effectively create a winding storyline vertically down the piece, despite the displacement of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.

Disciples

Bronzino uses the entire composition to create a storyline that moves down towards the focal scene. In the transition between Mannerism and the Counterreformation, Bronzino sticks closely to the text, making alteration to work with the moving storyline, while avoiding controversial embellishments. The largest divergence is Christ's lack of clothing. The patron for the piece was Giovanni Battista Cavalcanti who commisioned it for a funerary chapel. This context makes Bronzino's choice more understandable, emphasizing Christ's resurection and humanity to empathize with the viewers in the chapel.

Summary