Comparing Madonna of the Meadows and Madonna of the Long Neck - Essay Example

The differences in the paintings are more obvious.  Parmigianino’s painting is darker than Raphael’s.  The light contrasts between the two paintings are shadows (Parmigianino’s) and brightness (Raphael).  Madonna of the Meadows shows the Madonna, baby Jesus, and John the Baptist in a meadow.  Raphael’s Madonna of the Long Neck is indoors.  Raphael finished his work on the Madonna, while Parmigianino died before finishing his painting.  Raphael uses better proportions on the bodies of his subjects, while Parmigianino elongated the neck of the Madonna and the body of baby Jesus.

  Raphael’s portrait was more realistic than Parmigianino’s angels.  In Raphael’s painting, the Madonna is hovering over the baby Jesus like a natural mother, but in Parmigianino’s, the Madonna is leaning back so the angels can better adore baby Jesus.                      Both paintings are beautiful in their own way.  Madonna of the Meadows by Raphael might have influenced the Madonna of the Long Neck by Parmigianino.

  However, Parmigianino made the subject and matter his own.  He might have followed Raphael to an extent but was a great artist in his own right.  Both paintings can be considered masterpieces.