idle speculationsidle speculationsA series of postings on subjects I like-Catholicism, history, art, Italy,and whatever grabs me at the time Articles
A Young Benedict
2008-05-24 21:56:00 Montserrat Gudiol b. 1933The Young Saint Benedict of Nursia 1980Oil on canvasThe Basilica of Montserrat, near Barcelona, Spain One of the most beautiful (of the many) things to see at the Shrine of Our Lady at Monserrat, near Barcelona is a very large modern and extremely striking painting by the Catalonian artist, Montserrat Gudiol. It is of the young St Benedict of Nursia.The painting was commissioned to commemorate the 1500th anniversary of the birth of St Benedict, the patron saint of Europe.It was the introduction of modern art to the shrine complex.It shows Saint Benedict dressed in the black habit of the Benedictines.In about the year 500, Benedict became so upset by the immorality of society in Rome that he gave up his studies there and chose the life of an ascetic monk in the pursuit of personal holiness, living as a hermit in a cave near the rugged region of SubiacoSolitary, energetic, austere, and committed in his beliefs. In his hands he holds the Rule he wrote to order ...
Faith and Foreign Policy
2008-05-24 21:02:00 On Tuesday 12 February 2008 in Belfast as part of a series of Talks on faith in public life, HM Ambassador to the Holy See Francis Campbell delivered a lecture entitled 'Faith and Foreign Policy ' .He explained why ``to understand the world in which we live, we have to comprehend religion as a source of influence and motivation in peoples lives.'He set the context by looking first at foreign policy and religion more generally; then why religion was often ignored in foreign policy considerations; and why it now deserves to be taken seriously and in a balanced perspective.In light of the forthcoming Papal Encyclical, the second part of the Ambassador`s speech makes interesting reading.The second part of the talk focused on the practical application of religion and foreign policy: International Development as an example of one area of engagement with the world of faith in which faith communities can play a major part."It is an area which shows the new dimension to foreign policy and ... More About: Foreign Policy
Big is not always Best
2008-05-24 16:48:00 Peter von Cornelius, (b. 1783, Düsseldorf, d. 1867, Berlin)The Last Judgment (1836-39)Fresco 60' 5" high and 37' 3" wideLudwigskirche Munich The largest fresco in the world was commissioned by King Ludwig I of Bavaria. It stands in the church also commissioned by the King: the Ludwigskirche in MunichThe fresco decorations were for the most part designed and executed by von CorneliusThe king had championed Cornelius, whom he had first met in Rome in 1818. Cornelius was a leading member of the Lukasbund (Brotherhood of St. Luke), a fraternity of young German artists who were to be the founders of the Nazarene Movement.Cornelius courageously based his painting on the Last Judgment by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. Twenty years after his first sight of the Michelangelo masterpiece, von Cornelius was given an opportunity to execute his long held ambition: to paint a Last Judgment.However the differences with the Michelangelo work are apparent: static and abstract rather than dynam...
Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle and St Philip Neri
2008-05-24 14:06:00 Jacques Sarazin or Sarrazin (1588/90 ? December 3, 1660)Funeral Monument to the Heart of Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle (including panel of the Mass of St Philip Neri ) 1653-1657MarbleMusée du Louvre, Paris Jacques Sarazin or Sarrazin (1588/90 ? December 3, 1660) was a French sculptor and painter, but is less known for his paintings.His best-known work was the decoration of the great portal and the dome of the western facade of the interior court of the Louvre.He exercised great influence on 17th century art and was one of the founders of L'Académie royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in 1648The work above is the centotaph for the heart of Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle (1575-1629), originally commissioned for the Sainte-Madeleine Chapel of the Great Convent of the Carmelites in Paris.Cardinal de Bérulle was a French cardinal and statesman, one of the most important mystics of the 17th century in France, and founder of the French school of spirituality.Amongst his friends and disciples were ...
St Hildegard
2008-05-23 22:56:00 Father Paulus Krebs OSB 1849 -1935St Hildegard founds the monastery at Eibingen and heals a blind boy in Rüdesheim [detail] 1907-1913FrescoThe Abbey Church of St Hildegard. Eibingen "[T]he church was consecrated on September 7th, 1908. Between 1907 and 1913 the interior of the church was painted, a project led by Fr Paulus Krebs (1849-1935) of Beuron, a student of the famous artist-monk Fr Desiderius Lenz (1832-1928), the founder of the Beuron School of Art.The abbey church at Eibingen is considered his most important work and one of the best complete compositions of the Beuron School of Art. The Abbey Church of St Hildegard was modelled on the old basilicas in the Romanesque style. ...The paintings in the arches of the northern (left) side wall of the nave are dedicated to the Abbey's patron, St Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179). As Fr Paulus Krebs considered himself the "painter of St Hildegard", the paintings were executed with a special love and devotion. ...[The paintings] are n...
Mary: A Fresco at Beuron
2008-05-23 22:38:00 Father Paulus Krebs OSB 1849 -1935The Glorification of Mary 1898-1904FrescoGnadenkapelle, Abteikirche St. Martin, Beuron
Beuron
2008-05-23 22:19:00 Brother Gabriel Wüger OSB (1829-1892)St Benedict 1868-70(Design by Desiderius Lenz (1832-1928))FrescoSt.-Maurus-Kapelle, Beuron (Donautal) The Beuron art school was founded by a confederation of Benedictine monks in Germany in the late nineteenth centuryThe early leaders of the school were Maurus Wolter the founder of the Abbey with his brother Placidus Wolter, Father Desiderius Lenz and Gabriel Wuger. Several Benedictine artists worked within the school, including Jan Verkade (18 September 1868 - 19 July 1946). Verkade was one of Les Nabis before entering the Benedictine order.Lenz elaborated the philosophy and canon of the new school of painting.In his apostolic letter Archicoenobium Casinense (1913), Pope St. Pius X likened the artistic efforts of the Benedictines of Beuron to the revival of Gregorian chant by the Benedictines of Solesmes. He said: "...together with sacred music, it proves itself to be a powerful aid to the liturgy"
Some Argentine art
2008-05-22 20:33:00 Alejandro Xul Solar (1887-1963)Dos anjos (Two angels) 1915Watercolour on paper. 36 x 27 cmThe Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Xul Solar was the adopted name of Oscar Agustín Alejandro Schulz Solari , the Argentine painter, sculptor, and writerIn 1912 he travelled to Europe and lived in many different cities but mainly in Italy.
La Fęte-Dieu (or Corpus Christi)
2008-05-21 23:59:00 Alexandre ANTIGNA (1817-1878)La Fęte-Dieu 1855Oil on canvas 140 cm - 195 cmMusée d'Orsay (Paris) In France and other Western countries, the middle of the 19th century was distinguished by a new religious sensibility.The Church encouraged this by encouraging the celebration of religious feast days.In France, the celebration of Corpus Christi (known as la Fęte-Dieu) was particularly encouraged. One of the centre pieces of the festival was a procession of the Blessed Sacrament on a carpet of petals placed down by children.Until 1845 paintings of Alexandre Antigna were generally religious scenes and portraits. Then paintings of the urban poor also became his subjects. He was a pupil of Paul DelarocheBy the 1848 Revolution Antigna was devoted to the Realist style, and continued to paint in this manner until1860 when he began to produce paintings in the Naturalist style.
Christ and Sinner
2008-05-21 21:10:00 Henryk Siemiradzki (1843-1902)Christ and Sinner. The First Meeting of Christ and Mary Magdalene. 1873.Oil on canvas. 550 x 350 cm.The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. Henryk Siemiradzki (1843-1902) was a Polish Academic painter. He was particularly known for his depictions of scenes from the ancient Graeco-Roman world and the New Testament.From 1864 until 1870 he studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Saint-Petersburg. There he was to become an adherent of the academic classicism taught there.He also studied at Munich under Piloty. Later he went to Rome, where he permanently settled.Christ and Sinner. The First Meeting of Christ and Mary Magdalene (1872), brought him success and European fame. In his works, landscape is an important feature which unites the charatcters and theme. He painted several paintings on this theme.His body is now in the national Pantheon on Ska?ka in Kraków.
Cedars of Lebanon
2008-05-21 19:04:00 Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka (1853, Kisszeben - 1919, Budapest)The Solitary Cedar 1907Oil on canvas, 194 x 248 cmJanus Pannonius Museum, PécsTivadar Csontváry Kosztka (1853, Kisszeben - 1919, Budapest)Pilgrimage to the Cedars in Lebanon 1907Oil on canvas, 200 x 205 cmHungarian National Gallery, Budapest In 1907, Kosztka travelled to Lebanon. The cedars of Lebanon appear to have more than caught his attention.The Lebanon Cedar is an evergreen coniferous tree growing up to 40 m (130 ft) tall, with a trunk up to 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) diameterJewish priests were ordered by Moses to use the bark of the Lebanon Cedar in circumcision and treatment of leprosy.Isaiah used the Lebanon Cedar as a metaphor for the pride of the world.According to the Talmud, Jews once burned Lebanese cedar wood on the Mount of Olives to announce the new year.Kings far and near requested the wood for religious and civil buildings including King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem and David's and Solomon's Palaces.Reference...
Praying Saviour
2008-05-20 21:53:00 Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka (1853, Kisszeben - 1919, Budapest)Praying Saviour 1903Oil on canvas, 100 x 82 cmJanus Pannonius Museum, Pécs "The angular figure of the Saviour is standing in the middle isolated from everything and everybody. He is raising up his hands as if praying or preaching. The group of the twelve apostles are looking out of the picture.Dr. Rezs? Pertorini, author of the Csontváry pathogaph, grouped them as people shouting, "Crucify him," as if they were a choir in a Greek tragedy.Faces are suggestive, those of the Saviour and Moses are expressive. The picture condenses events.Moses is standing with stone tablets on the left. The silhouette of a town can be seen in the background, it is Jerusalem.On the right, there is a thin tree with a block of stone at its foot with two black figures on it.Behind the tree, there is a modern church which is lit: it can be approached on a steep slope.Next to it, there are three columns with winged sculptures and a domed building on ...
Mary`s Well
2008-05-20 21:36:00 Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka (1853, Kisszeben - 1919, Budapest)Mary 's Well at Nazareth 1908Oil on canvas, 362 x 515 cmJanus Pannonius Museum, Pécs A great Hungarian artist, but sadly affected by schizophrenia.From 1890 onwards he traveled around the world. He visited Paris, the Mediterraneum (Dalmatia, Italy, Greece), North Africa and the Middle East (Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Syria) and painted pictures. His symbolic paintings of mysterious atmosphere were painted in the Middle East.He painted his major pictures between 1903 and 1909. Sadly, after 1909, he hardly painted due to amongst other things his medical condition.Ignored during his lifetime, his reputation ascended after his death. After his death, an entire museum in Pécs, Hungary, was and is devoted to his paintingsHis vision of the world is both tormented and idyllic. Picasso saw an exhibition of his work and referred to him as the "other" artistic genius of the 20th century.Mary's Well is a modern public fountain in Naza...
Art Criticism
2008-05-20 20:25:00 Gabriel Cornelius von Max (1840 - 1915)Monkeys as Judges of Art 1889Oil on canvas, 84,5 x 107,5 cmNeue Pinakothek, Munich, GermanyGabriel Cornelius von Max (1840 - 1915) studied at the Prague Academy and thereafter, starting 1858, at the Academy in Vienna, Max travelled to Munich in 1863 and then to Paris where he was inspired by Gustave Courbet and Éduard Manet.Essentially a Symbolist painter but as the above painting shows he did not lack a sense of humour.He surrounded himself with a family of monkeys, which he painted often. More About: Criticism
Ehret die frauen
2008-05-19 21:43:00 Marianne Stokes (1855-1927)/ Morris and Company (Merton Abbey)Ehret die Frauen (Honour the Women) 1912Tapestry 174 x 256 cmWhitworth Art Gallery , Manchester The theme is inspired by Friedrich von Schiller's 1796 poem Wurde der frauen (Woman's worth).A group of figures represents (from left to right): Courage, Caring, Love, Wisdom and Fidelity.The verse, designed in gothic type, reads:Ehret die frauen sie flechten und meben ? himmlische rosen ins irdische leben(Honour the women, thy wife and weave heavenly roses into earthly life).
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill
2008-05-19 21:17:00 The Times reports that today that as expected, the House of Commons has approved the most controversial measures contained within the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill In other words measures which other countries have refused to permit will be allowed within the United Kingdom."An amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill that would have outlawed the creation of ?human admixed embryos? for medical research was defeated in a free vote by a majority of 160, preserving what Gordon Brown regards as a central element of the legislation.The Government, however, is braced for defeat tomorrow on a separate clause that would scrap the requirement that fertility clinics consider a child?s ?need for a father? before treating patients. MPs will also tomorrow consider amendments that would cut the legal limit for abortion from 24 weeks to 22 or 20 weeks.A second amendment, that would have banned the creation only of ?true hybrids? made by fertilising an animal egg with human...
The Sanctuary of Nostra Signora della Guardia
2008-05-19 21:05:00 The Sanctuary of Nostra Signora della Guardia near the Italian sea port of Genova commemorates the apparition of the Madonna that took place on "Monte Figogna" on 29th August 1490 to a local peasant "Benedetto Pareto".The Sanctuary rises at 804 m above sea level, with a unique panoramic view (from Corsica to the Matterhorn).Yesterday Pope Benedict XVI commenced his visit to the Italian city of Genova by first visiting the shrine at Monte Figogna.Later he said:"Many times Pope Benedict XV, your illustrious fellow citizen, went as a pilgrim to that mountain oasis, and in the Vatican Gardens he had a reproduction made of that dear image of the Madonna della Guardia.And just as my venerable predecessor, John Paul II did, in his first apostolic pilgrimage to Genoa, I too wanted to begin my pastoral visit by offering homage to the heavenly Mother of God, who from the height of Mount Figogna watches over the city and all its inhabitants.Tradition tells of how the Madonna, in her first appe...
Marianne Stokes
2008-05-18 21:12:00 Marianne Stokes 1855 - 1927Madonna and Child 1907-8Tempera on board 80 cm (31.5 in.),x 59.5 cm (23.43 in.)Wolverhampton Art Gallery Marianne Stokes (Marianne Preindlsberger) (1855-1927) was born in Graz, Austria.She studied under Wilhelm von Lindenschmidt in MunichIn 1884, while painting in Brittany at Pont-Avon, she met and later married British artist Adrian Stokes. The couple moved to St Ives and both became leading figures in the art colony there. Together they travelled throughout EuropeIn the 1890's she steadily moved towards religious subjects. A strong spirituality pervades her later works.She won a medal at the 1893 Exposition.She was considered one of the leading women artists in BritainIn 1923 she became an associate of the Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours.She exhibited in London with these bodies as well as at the Royal Academy, Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Fine Art Society, Grosvenor Gallery, New Gallery and Royal Society of British ArtistsShe abandoned o...
Albert Herbert
2008-05-17 20:58:00 Albert Herbert (1925-2008)Jonah Arrives at Nineveh 2004Oil on canvas20 x 24 inchesPrivate collection Albert Herbert ( 1925-2008) painter and teacher died on May 10th, 2008."Always interested in mysticism, Herbert converted finally to Roman Catholicism, though remaining on an intellectual level fascinated by Buddhism in particular. All this soon showed in his art, with his gradual adoption of religious and mythical subjects, which he saw as an important link between himself and a possibly uncomprehending public. ...Finally arriving at his mature style, he continued to paint primarily biblical subjects, both Old and New Testament, in what one might call a sophisticated primitive style, much influenced by his intense interest in children?s art.And as representational art gradually crept back into favour, fashion finally began to catch up with him, culminating in an extensive and impressive retrospective at the gallery England & Co in Notting Hill in 2004.At last people could unders... More About: Albert
Liebermann
2008-05-17 20:25:00 Max Liebermann (Germany, 1847?1935)The Twelve-Year-Old Jesus in the Temple with the Scholars, 1879Oil on canvas, (150.5 x 132 cm)Hamburger KunsthalleMax Liebermann (Germany, 1847?1935)Study of the painting "The twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple with the Scholars" 1878.Chalk drawing22,7 x 11,7Private collection South Germany Max Liebermann (July 20, 1847 in Berlin - February 8, 1935) is regarded as the foremost proponent of Impressionism in GermanyHe led the premier avant-garde formation in Germany, the Berliner Secession. Beginning in 1920 he was president of the Prussian academy of arts.With the rise of the Nazi regime in 1933, he was ousted from the Presidency of the Academy, his paintings were removed from all German museums, and he was forbidden either to exhibit or to work.After his death in 1935, his house was looted and his collection stolen and scattered.The artist's wife, Martha Liebermann, was forced to sell the home in 1940. In 1943 she committed suicide in the family ...
The Hard Path
2008-05-17 16:29:00 Fritz von Uhde (1848 - 1911)Schwerer Gang/ The Hard Path 1890Oil on Canvas, 117,0 x 127,0 cmNeue Pinakothek, Munich "When you can assume that your audiences holds the same beliefs you do, you can relax a little and use more normal means of talking to it; when you have to assume that it does not, then you have to make your vision apparent by shock-to the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost-blind you draw large and startling figures."Flannery O'Connor
On the Way to Emmaus
2008-05-17 15:55:00 Fritz von Uhde 1848 ? 1911Walking to Emmaus 1891Oil on CanvasGemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden Fritz von Uhde (1848 - 1911) made the acquaintance of Hans Makart in Vienna. In 1876 he left military service in order to dedicate himself to painting.He developed a naturalistic-impressionistic style. In 1892 he belonged to the group of founders of the Munich Secession.Along with Lovis Corinth and Max Slevogt, Uhde is considered to be one of the most important German Impressionists.In his many religious paintings, Uhde wanted to express the timelessness of Jesus? story by depicting him in contemporary settings. At the time they were painted, these religious paintings were popular and praisedHistorians of central Europe agree that the fin de sičcle was a time of artistic ferment. It was also a time of renewal and renovation in religious thought.In particular, it was a time when some sought to return to an ideal purity of the early Church. One of the themes was to regard Christ as "man a...
Passion paintings
2008-05-15 20:25:00 Lovis Corinth (1858-1925),Kreuzabnahme, 1895,Oil on canvas , 95 x 120 cmWallraf-Richartz-Museum - Fondation Corboud, Cologne (KÖLN)This picture was the first for which Corinth found a buyer. It is still in the ownership of the family to whom it was sold.Lovis Corinth (1858-1925),Christ Carrying the Cross. 1904Städel Museum, Frankfurt. More About: Passion , Paintings
Lovis Corinth
2008-05-14 20:51:00 Lovis Corinth (1858-1925)Samson Blinded , 1912.Oil on canvas, 130 × 105 cm,Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, National-GalerieLovis Corinth (1858-1925)The Red Christ , 1922.Oil on wood, 135.7 × 107.7 cm,Staatsgalerie moderner Kunst, MunichLovis Corinth (1858-1925)Ecce Homo , 1925.Oil on canvas, 190.5 × 150.0 cm,Kunstsammlung Basel, Kunstmuseum Lovis Corinth (1858-1925) is one of the greatest German artists of the late 19th century and the early modern period but still relatively little known outside of Germany.He is considered one of the important precursors to German ExpressionismHe painted scenes of mythology, religion, landscape and urban environments.Fron 1884-7 he was in Paris and was a pupil of Bouguereau at the Academie Julian in Paris. There he became influenced by Rembrandt, Hals and Rubens.He suffered partial paralysis as the result of a stroke in 1911. Just before the stroke, he had been producing some of his greatest work and on a prodigious scale. The stroke felled him at a h...
Cardinal Bernardin Gantin
2008-05-14 19:20:00 It has been announced that Cardinal Bernardin Gantin died in Paris yesterday."He was appointed at the age of 34, auxilary bishop of the diocese of CotonouIn 1960 he was appointed the first black Roman Catholic archbishop in AfricaIn 1971, Pope Paul VI summoned him to Rome as number 2 at Propaganda Fide (now the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples) the Vatican congregation charged with activities in the missions.Three years later he was made vice president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.A year later he became its president, and in 1977 Paul VI named him a Cardinal.The following year, the short-lived John Paul I appointed Gantin president of Cor Unum, the pontifical council charged with distributing humanitarian aid.Six years later, Pope John Paul II (with whom Gantin had been friends since their meeting at Vatican II) appointed him to one of the most important posts in the Roman Curia as prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.In 1993, Gantin became the fi...
The Altar of Holy Blood
2008-05-13 20:00:00 Tilman Riemenschneider (ca. 1460?1531)Heilig-Blut-Altar (Holy Blood Altar), (1501-1505)St. Jakobus ChurchRothenburg ob der Tauber, Franconia, Bavaria The altar was commissioned so as to hold a relic of the Precious Blood.The altar shows the Last Supper, the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem and the scene at the Mount of Olives.
Angels with Candlesticks
2008-05-12 20:09:00 Tilman Riemenschneider (ca. 1460?1531)Two Angels with Candlesticks c.1505Carved limewood with traces of paintVictoria and Albert Museum, London The candlesticks were made for the tiny church at Wolferstetten.
Saint Matthias the Apostle
2008-05-12 19:56:00 Tilman Riemenschneider (ca. 1460?1531)Saint Matthias , c. 1500?1505Limewood; H. 104.5 cm (41 1/8 in.), W. 32 cm (12 5/8 in.), D. 19 cm (7 1/2 in.)Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Skulpturensammlung Riemenschneider was active in Würzburg from about 1483 until 1531. He was one of the first sculptors to abandon polychromy (the application of colour to sculpture) on occasion. He made a conscious decision to leave visible his favoured material, limewood.St Matthias was present when St. Peter called on the faithful to select an apostle to replace the traitor Judas (Acts 1:15-26). He was a witness to the Resurrection (Acts 1:21-22). He was chosen by casting lots between him and Joseph.After selection he was identified as apostle with the other eleven apostles. More About: Apostle
Remedios Varo
2008-05-10 19:53:00 Remedios Varo (1908-1963)Hacia la torre /Toward the Tower 1960Oil on Masonite 123 x 100 cm.MonterreyRemedios Varo (1908-1963)Ascensión al monte análago/ Ascent To Mt Analog, 1960.Oil on Masonite 67 x 31 cm.México Remedios Varo (1908-1963) was born in Spain.When young, she travelled throughout Spain with her father, a hydraulic engineer. She was educated in Spanish convent schools.She moved to Paris where she became involved within the Surrealist movement. She was one of the few female Surrealist artists. She incorporated many scientific ideas into her paintingsIn 1942 she moved to Mexico City with her husband, Benjamin Péret, to escape the Nazi occupation of France.Her meticulous and multivalent paintings have long been celebrated in Mexico, her adopted home.This year is the centenary of her birth.
Westminster Cathedral
More articles from this author:2008-05-10 14:02:00 Mgr Mark Langham at Westminster Cathedral , London is stepping down as Administrator of Westminster Cathedral, to take sabbatical leave before starting in a new post later in the yearThe new Administrator is Fr Christopher TuckwellBloggers will know him from his excellent website Solomon, I Have Surpassed Thee.In his time he has done a great deal to move the Cathedral forward and to secure its future. He will be missed. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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