From Etruscans and Romans to Modern Times - The Wise World Traveler: Becoming a Part of All that You Meet - page 63

personality of the subject. The stereotyped likeness of the Middle Ages is no more; every
portrait compels us to look at a singular human being.
To see the difference between the Middle Ages and Renaissance, go to the Brancacci
Chapel in Florence. On the wall, you will see two frescos of Adam and Eve. One was
painted by Masolino (Middle Ages) and the other by Masaccio (the birth of the Renais-
sance). Masolino's work is simple representation with beautiful color and composition,
while Masaccio's work is emotional participation. In Masaccio's work, Adam and Eve are
suffering, moving, not standing still. Art is no longer representation, but interpretation.
Figure 5.7. Adam and Eve frescos in the
Brancacci Chapel in Florence. On the left is the work
of Masolino, and on the right is that of Masaccio.
It was during the Renaissance that man started to apply mathematics to architecture,
painting, sculpture, medicine, physics, astronomy, etc. This also began with Masaccio,
when he applied mathematics to his painting to give perspective. The principles of per-
spective transformed a flat, two-dimensional canvas into a three-dimensional “reality” that