Ruins Rest assured, ruins are not mentioned in any biblical account of Christmas – but nevertheless, they are a common feature in paintings. I’ve written about them recently, as it happens, long after Christmas, when Jesus, Mary and Joseph had already returned from their flight into Egypt, and were settling down to what could haveContinue reading “An Advent Calendar – 3”
Author Archives: drrichardstemp
An Advent Calendar – 2
Angels Angels have just as much as a right as the star to be present at the Nativity. They are mentioned in all four gospels, as it happens, although Mark only mentions them when Jesus is tempted by the devil, and John has one stirring the waters of the pool of Bethesda, and more appearingContinue reading “An Advent Calendar – 2”
An Advent Calendar – 1
It’s been a long time since I had my own advent calendar, so I thought this year I would make one, and send it to you. Each day I will send you a detail of a painting. They will all be from the same painting, but I won’t tell you what it is until weContinue reading “An Advent Calendar – 1”
116 – Typical!
Typical! You take a subject as sensitive and emotive as the penitence of Mary Magdalene, a woman struck with remorse at her sinful past, an existence spent earning money from the debauchery of the flesh, and you turn it into an excuse for men to stare at a display of the very flesh that hasContinue reading “116 – Typical!”
115 – Role Models
Correggio, The Madonna of the Basket, about 1524, National Gallery, London. Hello again! And before we get to Correggio, an apology – for those of you who are able to come to The Scrovegni Chapel from top to bottom I got the timings wrong on the last blog: the talks are from 14.00 – 15.00Continue reading “115 – Role Models”
114 – Giotto in Assisi
Giotto, The Institution of the Crib at Greccio, 1297-1300, Upper Church, San Francesco, Assisi. I’m thinking about Giotto again for a number of different reasons. The first is that Giotto is, quite simply, always worth thinking about. The second is that I am about to embark on a short course, a series of three lecturesContinue reading “114 – Giotto in Assisi”
113 – Artemisia, and Mary.
Artemisia Gentileschi, Madonna and Child, c. 1613-14. Galleria Spada, Rome. Hello! It’s been a while… over a month, bizarrely enough, although I can’t tell whether time is going quickly or slowly. The time has been filled with numerous adventures, I’m glad to say, including two trips to Venice, one working, one holiday, and both aContinue reading “113 – Artemisia, and Mary.”
112 …and so, ‘Farewell’…
Giotto, The Scrovegni Chapel, c. 1305, Padua. This is it, the very last ‘Scrovegni Saturday’. When I started out on this strand I had no idea what was coming, but I feel I understand Giotto’s decoration far better than I did before – and inevitably I also have far more questions about it than previously!Continue reading “112 …and so, ‘Farewell’…”
Mary, revisited…
Giotto, Stories from the Life of the Virgin, c. 1305, Scrovegni Chapel, Padua. Yesterday was the Feast of the Birth of the Virgin, and I had meant to post then – but sadly I seem to be getting busy again. However, I thought, ‘Why not have a look back to the end of May, when I lookedContinue reading “Mary, revisited…”
111 – Full circle
Giotto, Pentecost, c. 1305, Scrovegni Chapel, Padua. One last image for Scrovegni Saturday before a final summing up next week: Pentecost, in which God hands over responsibility to man, and Giotto remains entirely human, and entirely poetic. I have covered the story before – twice, in fact: on the day itself, with Plautilla Nelli’s littleContinue reading “111 – Full circle”
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