Why do lowered heads look strange in pre-Rennaissance art?

Many techniques such as perspective were either lost by the decline of the Roman Empire or weren't developed until the Renaissance. Living condition in the Medieval times were harsh for most people. read more

A lowered head covers the neck with the chin and hence can be a defensive posture that can occur as a result of any perceived threat (not just physical threat). Lowering the head also lowers the eyes and hence can be a sign of submission, effectively saying 'I dare not even look at you'. read more

The reasoning, like all things artistic in the Middle Ages, has to do with Jesus. Back then, the Church commissioned most of the portraits of babies and children. And they didn't want just any old baby—they wanted the baby Jesus (or other biblical kids). read more

furthermore, pre-renaissance paintings were meant to be narrative and didactic. They valued clarity of"what is going on" over composition. They also valued color and vibrance to make the paintings stand out. read more

Medieval art wasnt exactly considered"art" in their time, it was a tool that was used to show to illiterate people about the religious histories that they weren`t able to read, so, that"drawing" labour wasn`t in the hands of artist, but craftsman with no real drawing skills (most of them, but obviously there are beautiful exceptions). read more