Answer the following question in 3-4 complete sentences. Define symbolic proportion. How has the artist used symbolic proportion when creating Mary and Jesus (Christ), in this piece entitled, Mary and Christ Enthroned?

Answer:

Symbolic proportion is the deliberate use of size or proportion to communicate a figure’s importance or meaning rather than to represent realistic physical proportions. In this image, Jesus is a baby being held by Mary, but his body and face are painted with adult proportions. This presents Christ as divine, wise, and fully significant even as an infant. The artist uses this symbolic proportion to emphasize Jesus’s spiritual importance.