Jan van Eyck, The Annunciation, about 1434-6, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. It’s Picture Of The Day 76, and this is the first time I’ve talked about Jan van Eyck. I should be sacked! Well, that aside, my reason to include him today is that I’m talking about him online tomorrow, and the publicity materialContinue reading “Day 76 – Jan van Eyck”
Author Archives: drrichardstemp
Day 75 – Pentecost II
El Greco, Pentecost, 1596-1599, The Prado, Madrid. To be honest, I couldn’t decide which picture to show you yesterday, either the painting by Plautilla Nelli (Picture Of The Day 75), or this one – so I decided I would talk about both. The theological content of the painting has been covered just as much as IContinue reading “Day 75 – Pentecost II”
Day 74 – Pentecost
Suor Plautilla Nelli, Pentecost, 1554, San Domenico, Perugia. Today is Pentecost, fifty days after the Resurrection, and ten days after the Ascension. According to the Acts of the Apostles, 2: 1-4: And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound fromContinue reading “Day 74 – Pentecost”
Day 73 – Mary
Giotto, Stories from the Life of the Virgin, c. 1305, Scrovegni Chapel, Padua. Welcome back to Scrovegni Saturday – we’re well into the story. Joachim has been rejected from the temple, and as William Caxton put it back in 1483, ‘And then Joachim, all confused for this thing, durst not go home for shame’ (POTD 66). Meanwhile, Anna is waitingContinue reading “Day 73 – Mary”
Day 72 – Immaculate Conception II
Diego Velázquez, The Immaculate Conception, 1618-19, National Gallery, London. Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a series! But it is a chance to talk about a very beautiful painting… and to bring us up to date with the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. I explained yesterday (Picture Of The Day 71) that there were two mainContinue reading “Day 72 – Immaculate Conception II”
Day 71 – The Immaculate Conception
Carlo Crivelli, The Immaculate Conception, 1492, National Gallery, London. Right. I warned you (Picture Of The Day 66). I have to talk about the Immaculate Conception, and anyone who has ever been anywhere with me knows I go on about this all the time, because, quite simply, it is the most misunderstood aspect of Catholic theology.Continue reading “Day 71 – The Immaculate Conception”
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!’”
