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
Giovanni Bellini’s First St Jerome in the Wilderness
September 26th 2020
St Jerome (c.347 – 420) is a Doctor of the Church and the author of the Latin translation of the bible known as the Vulgate. However, in this image Bellini shows him seated on rock in front of what must
CRUCIFIXION WITH THE VIRGIN AND SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST BY GIOVANNI BELLINI
September 12th 2020
In this small panel, the crucifixion is shown against a beautiful landscape near a bridge built where a river bends. It might well be somewhere in the Veneto. The bridge and the tracks made by people across the river plain
Giovanni Bellini’s St Jerome in a Landscape
August 29th 2020
As the Season of Creation begins this coming week, I thought this small painting by Giovanni Bellini might help us to ponder our place within the whole of God’s creation. The subject is St Jerome (347 – 420) who, as
Caravaggio’s Denial of St Peter
August 22nd 2020
“Denial of St Peter” 1601- 1607/10, Caravaggio, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. You can see this picture in higher resolution at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Denial_of_Saint_Peter_(Caravaggio)#/media/File:The_Denial_of_Saint_Peter-Caravaggio_(1610).jpg The story of St Peter’s denial of Jesus is told in all four gospels. Although the general
CARAVAGGIO’S DEATH OF THE VIRGIN
August 15th 2020
“Death of the Virgin”, 1601- 1605/06, Caravaggio, Louvre, Paris. You can see this picture in higher resolution but with some colour distortion at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_the_Virgin_(Caravaggio)#/media/File:Michelangelo_Caravaggio_069.jpg A soft light falls from high up on the left unto a scene of death. The
Rembrandt’s “Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee”
August 8th 2020
This is Rembrandt’s first and only seascape. It was painted in 1633, which was early on in his career and shortly after his move from Leiden to Amsterdam. It is signed and dated but the details of the commission are
