The Virgin and Child, created by Cenni di Francesco di Ser Cenni between 1410 and 1415, is an iconographic painting of the Virgin Mary (at left) and a chubby baby Jesus character (right). The panel is painted in tempera and the halos around the heads of Mary and Jesus are made of gold leaf. The Toilet, painted by Richard Miller in 1910, is an impressionist painting depicting a woman putting on makeup. He uses this topic to compare makeup to applying oil paint to a canvas. In order to create the desired impact on the viewer of their paintings, Cenni and Miller use similar stylistic techniques to depict their female subjects. The backgrounds of both paintings are quite busy, allowing the artists to draw more attention to the faces of the female subjects and achieve the desired impression on the viewer. The background of the Madonna and Child is created with warm leaf colors of red and gold, and remains cooler through the use of green. Many floral, leafy and organic shapes fill the background, contrasting with the skin of the Virgin Mary. Additionally, her clothing is made up of the same colors as the background, allowing her body to blend in with her surroundings. As a result, her soft, peachy skin stands out, drawing the viewer's attention to her face. In contrast to her earthy, bustling surroundings, she looks pure and feminine. Cenni uses this contrast to create an intact-looking Virgin Mary. Like Cenni, Miller creates a harsh background using wild brushstrokes. However, the woman's face is very soft, as Miller used smaller brushstrokes to achieve a level of detail not possible with the larger brushstrokes seen in the background. The contrast also helps Miller portray the woman as more gentle and feminine. Without the contrast, Miller has...... middle of paper ......talc aspects to understand who the female subject is. Miller does not use repetition; in fact, he doesn't use geometric or organic shapes at all. The lack of use of shapes and repetition mimics the way a woman would apply makeup. Typically, makeup is not applied in perfect shapes, much less with organically shaped patterns. The impressionist style reflects the message of this painting more accurately than a more classical style, like Cenni's, could. Ultimately, Cenni's Madonna and Child and Miller's Toilet were able to convey a message to their viewers through the use of light and shadow. , by distinguishing backgrounds from main subjects, and by repetition. The Virgin and Child obviously represents the Virgin Mary and the child Jesus, while The Toilette successfully illustrates the similarities between a woman putting on makeup and an artist painting a canvas..