Author: Brian
-
Penitent Magdalen
The Penitent Magdalen (c.1640) Georges de La Tour. La Tour’s Penitent Magdalen offers a quieter, more meditative vision of repentance. Stripped of excess, the scene centers on contemplation, marked by familiar symbols: the mirror of vanity, the skull of mortality, and abandoned jewelry – pleasure exchanged for piety. The Met notes this is one of…
-
Allegory of Music
Allegory of Music (1649) Laurent de La Hyre. La Hyre was a highly influential Parisian artist and one of the founding members of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, a state sponsored academy that had full control over that was deemed “Good Art” from the Mid-17th century until the early 19th century. This is…
-
Saint Gregory of Nazianzus
Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (1621) Rubens. January 2nd is the feast day of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nazianzus. St. Gregory presided over the 2nd ecumenical council, which produced the Nicene Creed that is still said at Roman Catholic mass each Sunday. (with minor modifications – visible or invisible / seen or…
-
The Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God
Virgin and Child (c1670) Murillo. January 1st the Catholic church celebrates The Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God. In this painting, we see the baby Jesus at Mary’s breast and his focus is taken away from his mother for second, perhaps he notices our presence. Mary’s gaze has not left her son, she…
-
The Baker’s Cart
The Baker’s Cart (1656) Jean Michelin. At first glance, I assumed this was another LeNain peasant painting. I was surprised to see that it was Jean Michelin, an artist that I have not encountered yet. The gallery card says that Michelin liked to pose peasants with dignity similarly to the LeNain brothers, but he did…
-
A Peasant Family
A Peasant Family (c.1640) Antione LeNain. This is an interesting piece in the LeNain oeuvre as it shows a posed family indoors wearing what I’ll call upper-class peasant wear. They have on leather shoes and colorful jackets, and look a little better fed than the typical LeNain peasant painting. Comparing the clothing in the painting…
-
Holy Family
The Heavenly and Earthly Trinities (c.1675) Murillo. The first Sunday after Christmas, the Western Catholic Church celebrates the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Today’s painting by Murillo shows the Holy Family earthly Trinity as well as the Heavenly Trinity. We don’t see adolescent Jesus often, so it is interesting to see him portrayed…
-
St. Stephen
The Stoning of St. Stephen (c.1603) Annibale Caracci. December 26th is the Feast Day of St. Stephen. St. Stephen is recognized as the protomartyr (first martyr) of Christianity. He was stoned to death outside of the walls of Jerusalem after provoking a crowd. Caracci’s depiction shows what Stephen cried out , “Behold, I see the…
-
The Nativity
Merry Christmas from the Baroque Art Accessibility Consortium! The featured painting today is The Nativity (c.1655) Bartolomé Estebán Murillo. This painting is especially unique because it was painted on obsidian. As everyone (who plays Minecraft) knows, obsidian is formed by rapidly cooling lava. It is thought that this piece of obsidian was created by an…
-
The Fortune Teller
The Fortune Teller (c.1630) Georges De La Tour. The well dressed young man is hoping to gain something from having his fortune read. Instead, he is going to lose some of his valuable possessions. La Tour is cautioning us to not trust false wisdom, for it can lead to downfall.