Portinari Altarpiece, 

cerca 1476, 

274 x 652 cm

oil on wood

Depicts Christ being taken down from the cross and being carried down to Mary, very emotional and in grief. If you look closely, you can see the tears on the faces of the women, showing intense emotion and sadness. 
Way in which subject matter is being depicted:
All the people are wearing modern clothes, and the setting does not correspond to how the story actually goes.
Formal elements and Stylistic Characteristics:
They are wearing more modern and complex clothes, not believed to be from their time. It also has a simple, gold background. There is a lot of detail in the people and their surroundings. Jesus’s face and body looks clean and perfect besides the wounds from the cross. The artist uses choices of color and patterns enhances his composition. 


Iconography/Symbolism: 
Skull- Represents death
Tears/Handkerchief- Represents human emotion
Cross- Represents salvation
Mary Magdeline- Lower dress, symbolizes her past as a prostitute
Bones- Adam’s bones, man’s original sin, Jesus saving us from sin.
Ointment- Represents salvation, solution.
Ladder- Represents journey to heaven

Title-Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece)

Date-From 1427-1428

Dimension-4ft in Width & 2ft in Height

Media-Oil Paint

It depicts the archangel Gabriel as well as the virgin Mary in a modern form, as this was created around 1500 years after the actual scene took place. On the left, we see the patrons who decided to have this painting made. They were also shown kneeling, ordinary when recognizing patrons. The middle shows the virgin Mary and archangel Gabriel in modern form, while the right side has Saint Joseph with his tools that show many signs of symbolism. It is extremely detailed, as to showing even the small items Joseph has in his workshop, to the rusting of the door on the left panel.

Subject Matter - This Altarpiece depicts the story of Christian salvation. It shows the two donors off to the left, the important Annunciation with both Mary and the Archangel Gabriel, and Joseph in his workshop with his tools, foreshadowing the Devil and the crucifixion.

      

Function-  It Folds up and can be carried,Designed to keep people's attention from physical objects to spiritual concepts, and To assist in personal dedication. Meant to inspire the faithful to ponder the secrets of Christ, who left heaven to become a man.

Symbolism-He wears a cross around his neck, a somber reminder of his sacrificial fate. The white lilies, the water vessel, and the white towel all relate to Mary's purity, as do the small windows on the side of the room and the half-closed 

windows in the back, stressing her confined, virginal life.

Very realistic and very in detail such as Shiny nails, shadows, and rust are all examples. Shows how old the doors are. Even in the background, there is an interest in light, and they use oil paint to paint texture unlike Italian Renaissance)There's a lot of reality here, but it's conveyed in a different way. The room's space does not make sense because perspective has not yet been established. The table has two perspectives. Creates a telescoping effect, almost as if the the spectator enters the room