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Day 70 – The Annunciation, again

Veit Stoss, The Annunciation, 1517-18, St Lorenzkirche, Nuremberg. It’s been over two months since I last discussed The Annunciation. Back then it was the calm, rational, yet mystical version by Piero della Francesca, which is at the heart of his True Cross cycle (Picture Of The Day 7). I’m surprised I haven’t talked about more versions, thereContinue reading “Day 70 – The Annunciation, again”

Day 69 – Artemisia, Painting

Artemisia Gentileschi, Self Portrait as the Allegory of Painting (La Pittura), c. 1638-9, Royal Collection Trust, London. It’s a while since I last talked about Artemisia Gentileschi – way back in Picture Of The Day 17 – so I thought we should re-visit her to see how she’s getting on in lockdown. There is stillContinue reading “Day 69 – Artemisia, Painting”

Day 68 – Psyche, a coda

Antonio Canova, Psyche revived by Cupid’s Kiss, 1787-93, Louvre, Paris. I know, Cupid and Psyche are living happily ever after, but I couldn’t leave them without one last look back, and without one last, truly beautiful image of Psyche. This is a sculpture by Antonio Canova, the great master of neo-classical simplicity. As often with Canova,Continue reading “Day 68 – Psyche, a coda”

Day 67 – Psyche VII: ‘Celebration!’

Raphael, The Council of the Gods and The Wedding Banquet of Cupid and Psyche, 1518-19, Villa Farnesina, Rome. Oh dear – I was wondering last week if we were nearing the end of the story of Cupid and Psyche (Picture Of The Day 43, 44, 46, 53, 54, 60), on what has gradually evolved into ‘Psyche Sunday’, and IContinue reading “Day 67 – Psyche VII: ‘Celebration!’”

Day 66 – Joachim and Anna

Giotto, The Story of Joachim and Anna, c. 1305, Scrovegni Chapel, Padua. Time to get going with the stories! From the past few weeks we know, when looking down the chapel towards the altar, that the Last Judgement (Picture Of The Day 38) is behind us, with the Virtues at the bottom of the walls on our rightContinue reading “Day 66 – Joachim and Anna”

Day 65 – Venice

Canaletto, Venice: The Basin of San Marco on Ascension Day, about 1740, National Gallery, London. Yesterday was Ascension Day, and in Venice that always used to be one of the great days of the year. The celebration, known in the Venetian dialect as the Festa della Sensa, was associated with two historical events. On 9 May in the yearContinue reading “Day 65 – Venice”

Day 64 – Ascension

Pietro Perugino, The Ascension of Christ, 1495-98, Musée des beaux-arts, Lyon. Today is the Feast of the Ascension, forty days after Easter, when Jesus went up into Heaven – Jesus himself makes three references to it, before it has happened, in the Gospel of St John, and it is described in both the Gospel of St LukeContinue reading “Day 64 – Ascension”

Day 63 – Ecstasy

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, The Ecstasy of St Theresa, 1647-52, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome. I’ve said it before: the Baroque is theatrical. Well, the audience is gathering… Already the Cornaro family have bagged the best spots in the boxes on either side of the stage – those Venetians like a bit of theatre. They are theContinue reading “Day 63 – Ecstasy”

Day 62 – Portia

Elisabetta Sirani, Portia wounding her Thigh, 1664, Cassa di Risparmio, Bologna. One of the questions I have been asked several times while teaching – although not often – is ‘How do you know that? Is it the artist’s idea, or is it your interpretation?’ and it can be a difficult question to answer, because, after aContinue reading “Day 62 – Portia”

Day 61 – …the Virgin and Child

Sir Peter Lely, …the Virgin and Child, 1664. National Portrait Gallery, London. Last Monday we looked at Sir Anthony van Dyck’s Cupid and Psyche painted for Charles I (Picture Of The Day 54), which I suggested was quite possibly more than a little sacrilegious from a Catholic point of view. My precise words were ‘It’s entirely outrageous’.Continue reading “Day 61 – …the Virgin and Child”