As most known Vasari rose to popularity by writing ‘truthful’ accounts of famous painters and artists lives. Vasari wrote about various men ranging from Michelangelo to Botticelli. What some may not know is that Vasari also dabbled in art, his work that is currently on display at the Cummer Museum is The Holy Family with the Infant St. John the Baptist. His painting is a typical depiction of the holy family in the 15th century, his work follows themes of others artists working in this time period. High Renaissance themes include idealized beauty and heroism, a pyramid composition, figures that move with grace and elegance, and a new focus on psychology. The painters operating between 1480’s-1520’s had mastered perspective and naturalism, but…show more content… Commonly, representations of the Holy Family are commissioned pieces. Scenes like the one portrayed by Vasari are to commemorate the birth of a child. For example, the previously mentioned Doni Madonna by Michelangelo was to commemorate the birth of child by the Doni family. Da Vinci’s, Madonna and Child with St.Anne shows a similar scene, an embrace of family and showing the love between mother and child. Although, we do not know if Da Vinci’s work was a commission, one can assume the audience of this kind of painting was one who had been celebrating the birth of a child. The placement of a piece like this would be in a public view for those who enter can see and know what event would have occurred. This would not be hidden from public site, this would be to celebrate as Botticelli’s Primavera, a mid Renaissance work, was to celebrate fertility and push to conceive a child. The context of this particular work by Vasari may not be known, but can be easily speculated, and one can find a conclusion with some interpretation of other works being created in the same time…show more content… Christ child is seen holding a goldfinch in Vasari’s work. The goldfinch is a representation of the inevitable death of Jesus Christ, the goldfinch foreshadows the future Crucifixion of Jesus. Another obvious symbol in Vasari’s painting is John the Baptist dressed in animal furs. Him being dressed in furs refer to his future of preaching in the wild. In every showing of John the Baptist he is known wearing the furs, it does not matter if he is a small child or a grown man, he is always shown with the fur. As mentioned earlier in this paper, Mary is not seen as seer, but she is still aware of the future of her baby. Mary knows the fate of her son but still looks on lovingly to her the young babies that surround her. These symbols rear their heads in other contemporary works. Da Vinci’s, Madonna on the Rocks, shows John the Baptist as an infant, but still with the furs present. The young Christ child is blessing John the Baptist, and Mary is once again aware of the future of her son. Vasari’s work uses symbolism, follows the characteristics of High Renaissance, and his work appears to have influence of his contemporaries. His figures share a resemblance with Michelangelo’s figures, with them being fuller and idealized. Mary has the light hair and fair skin as all other Mary’s during the 15th century. Vasari was clearly inspired by the other great artists that were
