Both of these works of art illustrate which type of composition?

polygonal
horizontal
triangular
vertical
diagonal

Triangular
Leonardo, Madonna of the Rocks
(c. 1485)
This is a relatively early work by Leonardo--a religious painting showing the Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist (kneeling), the baby Jesus, and an angel. The painting is notable for its realism: a sense of depth and even foliage that can be identified as specific species of plants. As discussed in class, the composition is based on a triangle or pyramid, with Mary at the pinnacle.
http://facstaff.uww.edu/allsenjm/WOTA/IMAGES/Madonna.htm

Adoration of the Magi
Mary is seated in the center of the triangular composition with the Christ child on her lap. Two of the three Magi are on her right, while the third Magus and Joseph, with a white beard, are to her left. The three kings, who were given the names Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar during the ninth century, are individualized; each is dressed in rich courtly attire befitting a king. Additional spectators crowd around the central compositional group. None of the spectators, including the Magi and Joseph, looks directly at Mary and the Christ child, but rather they stare into space beyond the front plane of the tapestry.
http://www.taftmuseum.org/CC-Dec2002.htm

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,

As a professory of art history, with a minor study in Italian Renaissance, I must correct your reference to Leonardo, i.e. da Vinci means quite literally "from Vinci" which is the town where Leonardo was born. Therefore, to refer to the artist one uses his complete name or merely Leonardo.

Moving on, Leonardo perfected the intimate arrangement of figures, more commonly understood as a triangular arrangement of subjects. His Madonna of the Rocks is a case in point of his perspective. He is also known for his breaking with the "hierarchy of subject matter" meaning that he took the most important figures (i.e. Christ) and placed them lower in the picture plane that the lesser personages.

Enough for now. If you want more, I would be more than happy to help you. My e-mail is (Please do not post email addresses in open forums. Registered members can view your email address in your profile, if you wish to provide it.) and I am a professor of Art History and lived in Italy for more than a year.

Susan

[This message was edited by Karrow on 02-24-03 at 11:40 PM.]

Furthermore, 'The Madonna of the Rocks' has sparked controversy because of the dynamic grouping that clearly illuminates John the baptist rather than Jesus who is somewhat isolated from the scene as it seems to centre around the Madonna; this was an innovation of Leonardo's who rejected the contract the Confraternity of the Immaculate granted him, which requested a standard orthodox nativity scene.

Io.

Hello, I'm new to this forum and if this isn't where I'm supposed to post I'm sorry.
Um, ok, I've been looking for some help with Leonardo's Adoration of the Magi. I was just wondering whether anybody knows if the two figures either side of the picture (the ones at the bottom, which are shaded) could be interpreted as Leonardo's 'virile and effeminate'?
As they are facing each other and one is older than the other (or so it appears). If not, would anyone know which of Leonardo's paintings/works do express this?

Sorry for sounding like a newbie/idiot. It's just that I'm trying to get some coursework done and I dont want to just assume something that may turn out to be wrong.

Thank you for reading