Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Psyche showing her Sisters her Gifts from Cupid, 1753, National Gallery, London. I thought I’d have some presents today… for various reasons. Did you know it is the 75th anniversary of the death of Adolf Hitler? Or that it is the 137th anniversary of the death of Edouard Manet? Neither of these are the reason, obviously. ButContinue reading “Day 43 – Psyche”
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Day 42 – Some Virtues
Andrea del Verrocchio, Model for the Funeral Monument for Cardinal Niccolò Forteguerri, c. 1476, Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Not exactly a request today, but I was asked to talk about some Virtues a while back, and this terracotta relief sprang to mind. I have since realised which Virtues had been requested, and why, and I willContinue reading “Day 42 – Some Virtues”
Day 41 – Night and Sleep
Evelyn de Morgan, Night and Sleep, 1878, The De Morgan Foundation, Compton, Surrey. There is something I find indefinably exquisite about this painting, something remarkable about its combination of colours and forms, like the flavours and textures of a well cooked dish, a delight, and one that should not be savoured too quickly. To see whatContinue reading “Day 41 – Night and Sleep”
Day 40 – The Baglione Chapel
Pinturicchio, The Baglione Chapel, 1501, Santa Maria Maggiore, Spello. Another request today, and this time, for an entire chapel! It’s in the charming Umbrian hill town of Spello, and well worth the visit – something to look forward to when we can get out again, and travel. One of the things I love about Umbria isContinue reading “Day 40 – The Baglione Chapel”
Day 39 – La Tempesta
Giorgione, La Tempesta, c. 1504, Accademia, Venice. I’ve been asked to talk about Giorgione’s evocative and mysterious painting La Tempesta, which I’m very happy to do, even if it is something I have often avoided, for reasons which should become obvious. The best translation of the title would be ‘The Storm’, but, if translated at all, itContinue reading “Day 39 – La Tempesta”
Day 38 – Enrico Scrovegni
Giotto, The Last Judgement, c. 1305, Scrovegni Chapel, Padua Welcome back to Scrovegni Saturday! I dipped into three scenes from the top last week, but today I want to look at an entire wall – the Ecclesiastical West End. I am not referring to those theatres in London where musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell andContinue reading “Day 38 – Enrico Scrovegni”
Day 37 – Noah
Paolo Uccello, Stories from the Life of Noah, c. 1447-8, Chiostro Verde, Santa Maria Novella, Florence. I mentioned, a few days back (Picture Of The Day 32) – I think it was Sunday – that I would come back to the great polymath of the Renaissance, Leon Battista Alberti. And just a couple of days beforeContinue reading “Day 37 – Noah”
Day 36 – St George
Bernt Notke, St George and the Dragon, c. 1483-89, Storkyrkan, Stockholm My text for today is taken from Henry V, Act iii, line 1125: ‘Cry “God for Harry, England and St George!”’ Happy Birthday Shakespeare! Happy St George’s Day! Ramadan Mubarak! And while we’re about it, we should also remember the deaths of Shakespeare and Cervantes, bothContinue reading “Day 36 – St George”
Day 35 – Judith and Holofernes
Donatello, Judith and Holofernes, late 1450s, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence. Talking about Judith Leyster yesterday I was reminded that I had said, when talking about Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith Beheading Holofernes (Picture Of The Day 17), that I would talk about Donatello’s version of the same story – so here it is. And for those of you who have onlyContinue reading “Day 35 – Judith and Holofernes”
Day 34 – Judith Leyster
Judith Leyster, Self Portrait, c. 1630, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. For JW≈ – and any Dutch mothers I know. Yesterday we looked at Rembrandt trying to be someone else in 1640, but here, ten years earlier, with have an artist at the height of her powers and very happy to be herself: Judith Leyster.Continue reading “Day 34 – Judith Leyster”
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