The Nativity at Night, Geertgen tot Sint Jans
December 19th 2020
The holy child lies in a manger watched over by his mother Mary. Behind her in the shadows, Joseph looks on. The ox and the ass are in the centre but it is Mary’s brightly lit face and those
Zurbarán’s Agnus Dei at the Prado
December 12th 2020
In the verse which follows today’s Gospel passage, John the Baptist sees Jesus coming towards him and says, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (Jn 1:29) This exclamation just about sums up this
Bruegel’s The Sermon of St John the Baptist
December 5th 2020
In this painting you really have to look carefully to see John the Baptist. Bruegel deliberately focuses our attention first on the crowd who have gathered to hear him and then our eyes follow a diagonal to a light filled
Murillo’s Martyrdom of St Andrew
November 28th 2020
At first sight, the gaunt figure of St Andrew dominates the scene. But as you look you begin to notice one by one the figures in the crowd who like you are looking at this scene of martyrdom. It is
Caravaggio’s Crowning with Thorns in Prato
November 21st 2020
The artist uses light and shadow to draw attention to the central figure of Christ and in particular, to his bare right shoulder and arm and his upturned face. Nothing is known about the commission. The painting only came to
Titian’s Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple
November 14th 2020
Titian painted this canvas between 1534 and 1538 for a room in the Scoula Grande di S. Maria della Carità in Venice. Later on the room became part of the Galleria dell’ Accademia. “ The Golden Legend” relates that Mary
El Greco’s St Martin and the Beggar
November 7th 2020
“St Martin and the Beggar”, El Greco, 1597-99, National Gallery of Art, Washington. St Martin of Tours (d. 397) is shown as a young and handsome knight, dressed in a suit of armour and, rather strikingly, mounted on a
El Greco’s Burial of the Count of Orgaz
October 30th 2020
“The Burial of the Count of Orgaz”, El Greco, c.1586-88, Church of San Tomé, Toldeo. You can see this picture in higher resolution at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burial_of_the_Count_of_Orgaz#/media/File:El_Greco_-_The_Burial_of_the_Count_of_Orgaz.JPG The funeral of the Lord of Orgaz Gonzalo Ruiz de Toledo, had taken place
Tintoretto’s Washing of the Feet
October 24th 2020
Tintoretto painted this scene for the righthand wall of the apse of the Church of San Marcuola in Venice. This large picture is to be viewed from the righthand side as it would have been seen in situ. For the
El Greco’s Christ driving the Traders from the Temple
October 17th 2020
The denarius from today’s gospel bore the image of the Emperor and an inscription describing him as “divi filius” meaning “son of god”. On the back were the words “pontifex maximus”, meaning “high priest”. For Jews this coinage contravened
