Stomping Grounds: Senior Seminar Highlights Show
Nicole Miceli
My time studying abroad in Florence, Italy, has been the guiding force behind my senior thesis. The Renaissance art I encountered, along with the painting techniques I learned, gave me a new perspective on the craft. I have now started to follow the ways of the old great masters. My upcoming series of portraiture paintings is inspired by Renaissance themes and motifs, particularly in the realms of religious imagery and the representation of women. I translate these subjects into my own style, focused on creating homages to the period rather than explicit recreation.
The painting featured in this exhibition is entitled Madonna and Child and is inspired by various Renaissance iterations of Mother Mary and baby Jesus. I chose my own mother to act as the model for Mary because, like the Madonna, she embodies the ideal of motherhood. She is my creator, and this painting is a means to honor her.
The acrylic painting incorporates a multitude of common Renaissance motifs, such as Mary being dressed in red and blue and Jesus holding a pomegranate. This painting, and my whole thesis, are a marriage between my love for Renaissance art and my interest in portraiture.