What specific techniques in Masaccios works characterize him as the transitional painter from medieval art to Renaissance art?
Masaccio was famous for his brand new techniques of perspective, being one of the first artists to show realistic foregrounds and backgrounds to emphasize importance of certain figures in his paintings. His very mathematical precision can be seen in his strategic placement of vanishing points, the most obvious being that in The Tribute Money. In fact, in some cases, the concept of perception caused Masaccio to shorten or alter proportions in order to fit into the scene.In addition, Masaccio was the first artist to use the images and ideas of light in his paintings to make them more realistic and potent. Masaccio used this concept to illuminate not only in the sense of illuminating the most important religious figures in his works, but also as a means of contrast, a technique that Michelangelo obviously subscribed to. Clothing in Masaccio’s-and Michelangelo’s-paintings stands out as more realistic and beautiful than the previous flat portrayals of earlier artists (Vinson 1990). Masaccio
