JOURNAL ARCHIVES
Reflections on life, myth & art
SPRING 2010
coming in spring
WINTER 2010
INCARNATION
The Incarnation Initial (The Book of Kells)
Virgin and child (The Book of Kells)
Carpet page (The Book of Kells)
Mark as the lion (The Book of Kells)
The resurrection (Piero della Francesca)
The history of the true cross (Piero della Francesca)
The flagellation of Christ (Piero della Francesca)
The baptism of Christ (Piero della Francesca)
Madonna della Misericordia (Piero della Francesca)
Madonna del Parto (Piero della Francesca)
The Montefeltro altarpiece (Piero della Francesca)
JOURNAL 2009
A FEMININE MYTH
Creating a new myth
AUTUMN 2009
A FEMININE MYTH
Hsi Wang Mu, goddess of immortality
The girl with the peaches: portrait of Vera Mamontova (Valentin Serov)
Carnation Lily, Lily Rose (John Singer Sargent)
The mermaid at Clonfert Cathedral
Olympia (Édouard Manet)
SUMMER 2009
CREATION: MYTHOLOGY OF PLANET
Impression, Sunrise (Claude Monet)
The mythology of the Rowan tree
While writing in Putnam Valley
Vertumnus: Portrait of Rudolph II (Giuseppe Arcimboldo)
The mythology of the chinese phoenix
The dream of the three white cranes
Prometheus and the theft of fire
Sunday afternoon on the island of La Grande Jatte (Georges Seurat)
SPRING 2009
COMMUNION: MYTHOLOGY OF OTHER
The scream (Edvard Munch)
The Arnolfini Marriage (Jan Van Eyck)
The bath (Mary Cassatt)
The metaphorical rim of the glass
Berthe Morisot with a fan(Édouard Manet)
A bouquet of violets (Édouard Manet)
Woman and child against stained glass background (Odilon Redon)
WINTER 2009
TRANSFORMATION: MYTHOLOGY OF SELF
The appearance of a white hart
A fool, a cup and a wounded fisher king
JOURNAL 2008
THE BIRTH OF VENUS
Finding the inner muse
AUTUMN 2008
SELF-PORTRAITS
Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527-93)
Mary Cassatt (1844-1926)
Piero della Francesca (1412-92)
Édouard Manet (1832-83)
Berthe Morisot (1841-95)
Edvard Munch (1863-1944)
Odilon Redon (1840-1916)
Henri Rousseau (1844-1910)
John Singer Sargent (1856-1925)
Caterina van Hemessen (1528-87)
Marie-Denise Villers (1774-1821)
SUMMER 2008
WATERSHED ART
Vertumnus: Portrait of Rudolph II (Giuseppe Arcimboldo)
Nude descending a staircase, No. 2 (Marcel Duchamp)
The kiss (Gustav Klimt)
Luncheon on the grass (Edouard Manet)
Olympia (Edouard Manet)
The scream (Edvard Munch)
Impression, Sunrise (Claude Monet)
The sleeping gypsy (Henri Rousseau)
Carnation Lily, Lily Rose (John Singer Sargeant)
The girl with the peaches: portrait of Vera Mamontova (Valentin Serov)
Sunday afternoon on the island of La Grande Jatte (Georges Seurat)
The Arnolfini Marriage (Jan Van Eyck)
SPRING 2008
ODILON REDON (1840-1916)
Odilon Redon: before and after
The family of the artist: Ari and Camille
WINTER 2008
BERTHE MORISOT (1841-95)
Portrait of the mother and the sister of the artist reading
JOURNAL 2007
FOLLOWING THE WHITE HART
Exploring the link between faith and creativity
AUTUMN 2007
THE JOURNEY
A fool, a cup and a wounded fisher king
The mermaid at Clonfert Cathedral
The appearance of a white hart
The mythology of the Rowan tree
SUMMER 2007
SEEKING THE OX
Hsi Wang Mu, goddess of immortality
The mythology of the chinese phoenix
The dream of the three white cranes
SPRING 2007
WHILE WRITING IN PUTNAM VALLEY
WINTER 2007
A BOX ON MY HEAD
The metaphorical rim of the glass
The slaying of the Medusa and the rescue of Andromeda
SPRING 2010
THE BOOK OF HOURS
THE BOOK OF HOURS
The book of hours was a Christian devotional of writings, psalms and prayers, popular in the Middle Ages. The books varied in decorative content. Simpler versions contained only ornamental letters. More lavish versions, commissioned by wealthy patrons, featured richly executed full page illustrations or miniatures.
[left] May, miniature for a calendar cycle in a book of hours. Simon Bening. 16th Century.
WINTER 2010
A LIVING TAPESTRY
Christ Enthroned. The Book of Kells. Trinity College, Dublin. ca. 800 AD.
Imagine a tapestry.
It contains thousands, perhaps millions, of individual threads. When the threads are woven together, something larger forms and an overall design emerges.
Now imagine that tapestry woven out of living threads, each thread having the ability to change color and shape. And as each thread changes, the tapestry responds and transforms as well, allowing a different design to be revealed.
Your life is just like a single thread in a living tapestry.
THE BOOK OF KELLS
The Book of Kells, also known as The Book of Columba, is an illuminated manuscript containing the Four Gospels [Matthew, Mark, Luke and John] in Latin. It is a masterwork of Western calligraphy and insular illustration. Insular art [insula/island] refers to both script and illustration and was a style unique to Britain and Ireland, originating out of Irish monasticism.
WINTER 2010
THE INCARNATION INITIAL
The Incarnation Initial (Chi and Rho which are the first two letters of the word Christ in Greek). The Book of Kells. Trinity College, Dublin. ca. 800 AD.
"Examine it carefully, and you will penetrate to the very shrine of art. You will make out intricacies so delicate and subtle, so concise and compact, so full of knots and links, with colors so fresh and vivid, that you might think all this was the work of an angel, not a man."
12th C. commentary on The Book of Kells.
WINTER 2010
THE BOOK OF KELLS
Virgin and child. The Book of Kells. Trinity College, Dublin. ca. 800 AD. This illustration is the oldest extant depiction of the Virgin Mary in a Western manuscript.
The Book of Kells, also known as The Book of Columba, is an illuminated manuscript containing the Four Gospels [Matthew, Mark, Luke and John] in Latin. It is a masterwork of Western calligraphy and insular illustration. Insular art [insula/island] refers to both script and illustration and was a style unique to Britain and Ireland, originating out of Irish monasticism.
The famous manuscript derives its name from the Abbey of Kells. First founded by St. Columba in 554 AD, the abbey became a refuge for monks fleeing the Viking raids of Iona. It is possible that the monks began the transcription of the Book of Kells in Iona and completed it at the Abbey of Kells several generations later. Viking raids continued at the Abbey of Kells and in 1006 the Book of Kells was stolen. Two months later the abbey recovered the manuscript, now missing its front and back covers and the beginning and ending illustrations.
Since 1953 The Book of Kells has been bound in four volumes. It is on permanent display at the Trinity College Library of Dublin and considered Ireland's finest national treasure.
Insular script. Gospel of John. The Book of Kells
CALLIGRAPHY
[Greek kallos/beauty + graphé/writing] an ornamental form of creating letters which involves decorative strokes
WINTER 2010
CARPET PAGE
Carpet page. The Book of Kells. Trinity College, Dublin. ca. 800 AD.
Carpet pages are one of the distinctive characteristics of Insular illuminated manuscripts. The Book of Kells has one surviving example [above]. Traditionally placed at the beginning of each Gospel, these designs feature vibrant color and complex geometric patterns. Their primary inspiration is the oriental carpets from the period, hence the name 'carpet page'. The earliest surviving example is the Bobbio Orosius which dates from the 7th Century.
WINTER 2010
MARK AS THE LION
The Book of Kells features a plate depicting the four evangelists in their traditionally symbolic form: Matthew [human/angel], Mark [lion], Luke [ox] and John [eagle]. There are several biblical sources for these symbols, including Ezekiel 1:1-14, Ezekiel 10:1-22, Daniel 7:1-8 and Revelation 4:7-8.
Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 4:7 the first living creature like a LION, the second living creature like an OX, the third living creature with a face like a HUMAN face, and the fourth living creature like a flying EAGLE. 4:8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside.
Revelation 4:7-8Some scholars believe that Mark was viewed like a son by the disciple Peter and that this chapter of the New Testament most closely reflects Peter's view of the Christ: a servant sent by God to accomplish a specific task. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke use the Gospel of Mark and the Q document as their primary sources.
The Four Evangelists [detail of Mark as the Lion]. The Book of Kells. Trinity College, Dublin. ca. 800 AD.
THE Q DOCUMENT
A theoretical lost source for the Gospels of Matthew and Luke which contains Jesus' sayings in Greek. Though scholars speculate on its existence, no fragment has ever been found.
WINTER 2010
THE RESURRECTION
The resurrection. Piero della Francesca. 1460. Museo Civico. Sansepolcro, Italy. Sansepolcro, the birthplace of Francesca, translates as 'holy sepulchre'.
Piero della Francesca was an Italian artist who also was an accomplished mathematician and geometer. His mathematical knowledge influenced his art as evidenced by his use of foreshortening, geometric forms and innovative perspectives.
The resurrection is one of his mature works and features the artist as one of the sleeping soldiers at the feet of Christ. The painting is set at dawn, at the very moment of resurrection. The theme of new life is mirrored in the trees in the background, with the trees on the left still leafless and dormant and the trees on the right flush with growth.
During World War II Sansepolcro, believed to be a stronghold of German soldiers, came under artillery fire by the British. However, Antony Clarke, the captain in charge of the attack, remembered an essay by Aldous Huxley which described The resurrection as "the greatest painting in the world" [see The history of the true cross]. He ordered the bombardment to stop, sparing the town and the masterwork. The Allies later learned that there had been no enemy troops at the site after all.
self-portrait of the artist [ca. 1415-92] from The resurrection
WINTER 2010
THE HISTORY OF THE TRUE CROSS
The history of the true cross: the dream of Constantine. ca. 1447-66. This is the first nocturnal scene in Western art.
The history of the true cross is a series of murals in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo painted by Piero della Francesca. It is his largest and arguably his finest work, displaying his mastery of perspective, color and composition.
The thematic source is the tree from the Garden of Eden which later becomes the wood for the cross of the crucifixion [see index of murals, right column]. Francesca's cycle includes a depiction of the annunciation, an event not traditionally associated with this series.
The history of the true cross: the annunciation. ca. 1447-66.
THE HISTORY OF THE TRUE CROSS
MURALS INDEXI: Garden of Eden: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
II: The prophets; Queen of Sheba and King Solomon
III: The life of Christ: the annunciation and the crucifixion [unknown artist, hung separately over the altar]
IV: The reign of Emperor Constantine
V: early Byzantine Empire
VI: End of Time. Last Judgement [outside the chapel, unknown artist]
WINTER 2010
THE FLAGELLATION OF CHRIST
The flagellation of Christ, ca. 1450-55. Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, Urbino.
The intensity of an artistic experience does not necessarily coincide with any clarity of understanding.
Ernst Gombrich [1909 - 2001], OM, CBE, art historianThe flagellation is a recurring motif in Christian art which depicts a scene from the passion of Christ. Traditionally, this setting features Jesus tied to a column while being flayed with a scourge or whip. In Francesca's portrayal of this event, however, the main focus is not on the flaying but on a grouping of three men who stand in the right foreground. Their identitites are not known though studies of the work have yielded several possibilities. Their relationship to the tragic event in the background is also not clear.
There is no documentation of who commissioned this artwork or the location of the commission. The creation date is only an approximation. The piece is small, a modest 23 x 32 inches, which supports the possibility that the painting was meant for private use. Earliest commentary on the piece suggests that the aim of the patron was to keep the true intention of the work enigmatic. Absent valid documentation, the patron, the identity of the foreground trio and the purpose of the painting remain a mystery.
In the context of Christian tradition, 'passion' refers to the events and subsequent suffering of Jesus in the hours leading up to his death by crucifixion.
WINTER 2010
THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST
The baptism of Christ. ca. 1440-50. National Gallery, London.
During his teens [ca. 1439], Francesca studied his craft in Florence while working under Dominico Venezian on a series of murals for the hospital Santo Maria Nuova. It was also during this early part of his career that he began exploring the relationship between mathematics and art. One treatise authored by him, On perspective for painting, is the first to deal with the mathematics of perspective [creating a three dimensional effect in two dimensional works].
The baptism of Christ, originally part of a triptych, displays Francesca's utilization of the golden mean in the composition of the work. The figure of Christ, John's hand and the dove form a vertical axis which divides the painting in half. The tree on the left then creates a vertical axis which divides the left half by the golden mean.
THE GOLDEN MEAN [PHI]
a is to a+b as b is to a
WINTER 2010
MADONNA DELLA MISERICORDIA
Misericordia Polyptych [Madonna della Misericordia]. Piero della Franchesca. 1460-62. Pinacoteca Comunale, Sansepolcro. This painting contains a self-portrait of the artist, third from the left, kneeling at the feet of Mary. See also: The resurrection.
The Madonna della Misericordia or Virgin of Mercy is a traditional motif in Christian art which displays the Virgin Mary with an outstretched mantle. In the image, she uses her mantle to protect her worshippers. Artwork commissions with this theme were often made by groups [e.g., families, convents, guilds] who then were incorporated into the piece. Usually, the group is represented kneeling and of a smaller scale than the Madonna. Martin Luther scorned the image, likening it to "a hen with her chicks".
The oldest extant version is a small 13th Century piece by Duccio. The most famous example is The Madonna della Misericordia or The Polyptych of Misericordia, an altarpiece by Piero della Francesca in the Pinacoteca Comunale of Sansepolcro. Here Francesca features the Madonna as the centerpiece of the polyptych, flanked by the Virgin of the Annunciation, various saints, and images of the life of Christ. The piece was commissioned in 1445 by the Compagnia della Misericordia and was completed in 1462.
Madonna of Mercy. Sano di Pietro. ca. 1440. Private collection
POLYPTYCH
[Greek poluptukha/having many folds]
work of art composed of multiple panels, usually four or more. Diptych refers to two paneled pieces and triptych refers to those with three.
Madonna of the Franciscans. Duccio di Buoninsegna. 1280. Pinacoteca Nazionale, Siena.
WINTER 2010
MADONNA DEL PARTO
Madonna del Parto. Piero della Franchesca. ca. 1459. Museo della Madonna del Parto, Monterchi.
The Madonna del Parto [Madonna of childbirth] is a fresco painting by Piero della Francesca. One historical account reports that Francesca completed the piece in seven days while in Sansepolcro for his mother's death [1459]. The painting features a liberal amount of blu oltremare, also known as ultramarinum [beyond the sea], obtained from imported lapis lazuli. Popular with Italian painters in the fourteenth and fifteenth centures, blu oltermare was also very expensive, at times exceeding gold in cost. Artists were sparing in their use of it, reserving the color for the robes of the Virgin Mary and the Christ child.
The motif of Madonna del Parto is one found in Tuscan art beginning in the 14th C. In these paintings, the Madonna usually stands alone and holds a closed book over her belly, signifying her embodiment of the incarnate word. Here Francesca reveals her within a pavillon, with two angels opening its panels. This opening is then mirrored in the panels of the Virgin Mary's robes. One interpretation describes the pavillon as representing the orginal Ark of the Covenant. In this context, the pregnant mother of Christ then becomes the vessel for the new covenant.
Madonna del Parto. Nardo Cione. ca. 1355-60. Museo Bandini, Fiesole.
WINTER 2010
THE MONTEFELTRO ALTARPIECE
The Montefeltro altarpiece [also known as Virgin with child, saints, angels and Federigo II da Montefeltro], 1465. Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan.
detail
