May 12th - Santa Maria del Carmine & Brancacci Chapel

Santa Maria del Carmine is a Carmelitan church that houses art by one of the most famous painters of the Renaissance- Masaccio. Within the Brancacci chapel, Masaccio painted several frescoes, with two of the most famous being "The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden," and the "The Tribute Money." The Tribute Money, especially, illustrates the concept of progressive art that we have been learning about in class. Masaccio's style differed significantly from that of the many regressive artists of his time. While some painters chose to paint what they knew, Masaccio believed in painting what could be seen. As such, in the background of works like "The Tribute Money," there is a darkness and a blurriness that reflects depth and distance- through change in colour and visibility. In addition, Masaccio utilized a non-linear narrative technique to tell the story of Peter and Jesus paying tribute. The central focus of the painting is Jesus and the apostles encountering the taxman. The second scene in the sequence however, is off to the left, where Peter is painted smaller (to signify his distance from the group) at the riverside catching a fish. Finally, the end sequence of the tribute being paid is to the right of the main image, separated by a building that represents the change in scene. The building is also representative of Masaccio's attempt to create one-point perspective (although unsuccessful here). The importance of this church and chapel is that hosts prime examples of forward-thinking Renaissance paintings that would lend to the development of the art world.

"The Tribute Money" - Masaccio