Question

How can we most effectively account for the heightened naturalism in leonardo's mona lisa compared to masaccio's the tribute money.

Answer 1

Answer:

The Mona Lisa is known for sfumato technique ("smoky"): The light is warm, haziness/softness, atmospheric perspective, sense of atmosphere (almost imagine it was humid day)

-plays into Leo's interest in science and optics

-soft and almost veiled quality about her    

-Pays a lot of attention to the landscape: she is being associated with the landscape - line of garment flows into rocky formation in background, swirly lines echoed in path in background, pattered folds in garment are echoed in undulating aspect of landscape

-relationship between sitter and environment behind her

-fidelity and truthfulness to natural world

-geologically extremely accurate and studied from life from time in North of Italy

However, compared to Massaccio's The Tribtute Money it is not a single portrait of a woman that is natural but of a Roman tax collector (the figure in the foreground in a short orange tunic and no halo) who demands tax money from Christ and the twelve apostles who don't have the money to pay. The colors used are more bright but the scene is larger.