Masaccio's Holy Trinity Visual & Performing Arts Essay (Essay Sample)

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Holy Trinity by Masaccio 1427 – 1428
Introduction
Western art has advanced and transmuted over many centuries, but the root of most of is linked to ancient Greece. Different artists have developed innovations, which contribute to the continuous improvement of art. The work of art depicted in the image is The Holy Trinity created by Florentine artist Masaccio between 1427 and 1428. Masaccio’s masterpiece is displayed on the wall of the church of Santa Maria Novella ("Masaccio’s Holy Trinity"). The artwork depicts an image of the Christian Holy Trinity, with God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ on the cross. Other figures that appear in the artwork include Mary, the mother of Christ, John, Christ's disciple, and two of Masaccio's donors, who represent the viewers of the painting. Similar to several other artworks of the time, this piece bears high religious significance within the Christian worldview. Masaccio’s Holy Trinity represents one of the artistic discoveries, linear perspective, which has played a primary role in the evolution of western art.
Linear Perspective
The innovation that makes The Holy Trinity exemplary is the use of linear perspective, a concept that entails the creation of an illusion of depth and distance on a flat surface. The three major aspects of linear perspective are parallel lines, vanishing points, and straight lines referred to as orthogonal lines ("Masaccio’s Holy Trinity"). Using the location and relative size of a number of items or objects, artists apply this approach to create a perception of depth and space. Renaissance scholars trace the invention of linear perspective to 1415 and give credit to Filippo Brunelleschi, an Italian architect of the Renaissance era, for the discovery (Milroy). Masaccio makes use of one-point linear perspective in the Holy Trinity to deliver the intended message.