Part one of term paper
The Fogg Museum's icon "The Virgin and Child" captures and venerates the mystery of the Madonna in a way that powerfully awes even the modern viewer. The work entrances the viewer with mesmeric textures and shapes while removing him from the holy and unknowable religious space it creates. The resulting tension creates a powerful and dynamic c ...

Part two of term paper
... and direct gaze must be met. The Virgin's face is created from broad and distinct strokes recalling the organic textures of Van Gogh and contrasting with the more geometric and gilded shapes of her clothing. The brushwork moves through supremely controlled and ever tightening spirals of changing direction from the dark curve of the jaw to the rose colored center of the cheek to the dark and barely visible center of the eye (Figure 2, Feature 1). The motion thus created evokes a mesmerist's disk, a ...