On the other hand, these pieces are different in that Lamentation is a fresco painting, while Preparation for the Crucifixion is oil on copper. Despite the differences of these two pieces, it is clear that no matter where artists were from, they were depicting the same subject matter and using the same Byzantine influence, while also incorporating new popular techniques.
Sculpture during the Proto Renaissance period took a turn toward being influenced primarily by Roman sculpture. Frederick II, King of Sicily from 1197-1250, had an admiration for classical art, and therefore hindered a revival of Roman sculpture in Sicily. Nicola Pisano, was an artist who specialized in carving marble reliefs and ornamentation for large pulpits, completing the first for Pisa's baptistery. In his relief panel Annunciation, Nativity, and Adoration of the Saints, the subject matter seems to derive from that of compositions found on Roman sarcophagi. In particular, the Madonna of the Nativity scene's posture and heavy drapery resembles that of the common depiction of the Madonna in Roman sculpture. One should also take note that classical sculpture inspired the facial features, such as beards and emotion of Nicola's figures. Strikingly similar elements seem to appear in The Flagellation, a relief in bronze originating in the 16th century by the artist Moderno. It is seen in this sculpture that the artist had adapted the figure of Christ from that of the ancient sculpture Laocoön and His Sons, a piece from the Hellenistic period of Greek art. Due to this adaption, one can see that this is an emotional piece, with much distress on Christ's face, similar to the influence Roman art had on Nicola's figures facial features. Another way artists incorporated new elements was experimenting with displaying the human realistically in various complex poses, which can be seen in both relief sculptures. These similarities show that sculpture all over Italy at the time was being made in the same way, using the same influence from other cultures like the Romans and Greeks.
