The works of Masaccio played a fundamental role in changing the course of Renaissance painting. Masaccio was a highly innovative artist who introduced the use of spatial perspective, and a new use of chiaroscuro and colour which helped him to reflect an intense passion in his paintings that had not been experimented with before. However, in his works we can see the traditional elements to his paintings. For example, the San Giovenale Triptych. Here, although spatially avant-garde we can still feel the gothic influence just by looking at the piece, showing a traditional element to Masaccio's work. The sturdy figures that look stiff and rigid are a typically Gothic element. This influence would probably have spanned from artists such as Giotto.
"The San Giovenale Triptych".
The San Giovanele Triptych shows the Madonna and Child enthroned in the central panel and four saints, two on each side panel. We can see a new treatment of perspective here, independent to previous Gothic works which were flat and without dimension, Masaccio has arranged the painting in such a way that you feel almost drawn into it. The space is defined due to the use of three separate panels. This way of arranging space is recurrent in Masaccio's style and one which is prevalent in the paintings of the Brancacci chapel. .
"The Tribute money" is a fresco which demonstrates well Masaccio's spatial innovations. In one painting it is almost as if we get three different scenes. It shows the life of Saint Peter, and how he was the physical manifestation of Jesus on earth. Our eyes are lead around the painting, by the use of cleverly positioned colours, the orange on Peter's robe for example. Behind the scene we see a mountainous landscape containing a variety of colours, ranging from a dark green foreground to white snow in the background, ending with a rich blue sky dotted with white clouds painted in perfect perspective. The mountains and the hills are dotted with houses and hedges and make the scene look as a whole more solid and sturdy.
