During the Middle Ages, European artists painted in a way that emphasized religious images and symbolism rather than realism. Most paintings depicted scenes holy figures and people important in the Christian religion. Even the most talented painters of the Middle Ages paid little attention to making humans and animals look lifelike, creating natural looking landscapes, or creating a sense of depth and space in their paintings.

Questions:

• What parts of these paintings look most realistic to you?
• What parts look least lifelike?
• Which objects or people seem closest and most distant in each painting?
• What clues does the artist give that one object is further away than another?

---

Science Learning Network / email: sln@mos.org / © 1997 The Museum of Science