Many stories in Western culture warn of the woes that come from challenging the divine. Today, we will investigate two paintings that illustrate one of these stories: “Apollo as Victor Over Pan” by Jacob Jordaens, and “Apollo and Marsyas” by Bartolomeo Manfredi. The Musical Contest Between Apollo and Pan (Marsyas) As the ancient Greek story…
How to Be Worthy of Being Human: A Look at 2 Paintings
Many stories in Western culture warn of the woes that come from challenging the divine. Today, we will investigate two paintings that illustrate one of these stories: “Apollo as Victor Over Pan” by Jacob Jordaens, and “Apollo and Marsyas” by Bartolomeo Manfredi. The Musical Contest Between Apollo and Pan (Marsyas) As the ancient Greek story…
A Window Into Thomas Becket’s Life, Death, and Miracles
It is Dec. 29, 1170, at Canterbury Cathedral in southeast England, one of the most important places of worship in the country. The archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket is settling down for dinner in the Archbishop’s Palace after a busy day. It is a day like any other, yet an extraordinary event is about to…
A British Treasure: Westminster Abbey
The hallowed ground of Westminster Abbey holds a unique place in British history. It’s where coronations occur and the fallen and the famous rest and are remembered: namely, the Grave of the Unknown Warrior honoring all those who died in military conflict, with memorials to William Shakespeare, Sir Winston Churchill, William Blake, the Brontë sisters,…
The Struggle of Temptation: ‘Christ in the Wilderness’
Every year, millions of people celebrate Easter as the day commemorating the resurrection of Jesus three days after he was crucified and buried. Instead of looking at the horror of Jesus on the cross, though, I would like to remember a moment from the life of Jesus, one that both reveals his humanness and exemplifies…
Rarely Seen Outside of Italy: Introducing The Met’s Divine Art Collection by a Renaissance Nun
Last year, an Italian nun caused quite a stir at Sotheby’s, London, when her painting titled “Still Life of Birds, Including a Marsh Tit, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Blue Tits, Goldrest, Lapwing and a Great Tit” fetched far more than estimated. The Renaissance painting by mannerist painter Orsola Maddalena Caccia sold for 212,500 pounds ($264,350), 14 times…
The Unsolved Mystery of Jan van Eyck’s ‘Wedding’ Portrait’
Though created nearly six centuries ago, the justly famed double portrait by the Flemish master Jan van Eyck in the National Gallery, London, still holds viewers in thrall. Yet art historians have been unable to determine with certainty who is depicted or what the circumstances and intent of its creation were. The first in-depth analysis…
Giotto Di Bondone: The Master of Visual Storytelling
On the day I visited Padua, destroyer clouds were moving in from the west. The snow was knee-high. I had been asked to a tiny restaurant famous for its tiramisu—and to see Giotto’s Arena Chapel. Tiramisu— meaning “pull me up”—a famous desert, which is made with ladyfingers soaked in bitter coffee and mascarpone cream, was sublime….
Japan’s Second Buddhist Temple: Horyuji
From 594 to 622, Prince Shotoku ruled Japan. He certainly lived up to his name, for “sho” means sacred and “toku” means virtue. During his reign, he promoted Buddhism in Japan, so much so that he is popularly known as the founder of Japanese Buddhism. After his death, many even called him “Japan’s Shakyamuni.” A historical figure…
Reuniting With the Divine: ‘Sacred Love and Profane Love’
As the profane runs rampant, there is little left that is sacred. Sacred love has been turned on its head, and people today often value vice instead of virtue. Love, however, used to be sacred. The controversial painting “Sacred Love and Profane Love” by Giovanni Baglione might give us insight into the sacrality of love….
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