Something Beautiful

Missing comments

This blog recently underwent an intense and prolonged attack by spammers.  When, after some days, it had still not died down, I felt obliged to take steps to make it more difficult to post comments.  In the course of doing that, I somehow inadvertently deleted comments from actual and valued contributors.  I very much regret that this happened, and apologize for the mishap. 

St. Anthony of Padua (Maso di Banco)

You'll need to get up close in order to appreciate this portrait of St. Anthony of Padua, c. 1340, by Maso di Banco, but I think it's worth taking the time.  

Regrettably, not many of di Banco's works have survived.  You can see some of them, however, by consulting his page at Artcyclopedia. 

 

Pierpont Morgan's Library (1906)

Here are four photographs of Pierpont Morgan's Library as it existed in 1906: East Room, West Room, North Room and Rotunda.  Simply sumptuous. 

Here's a different, perhaps better, approach:  East Room (with six photos); Rotunda; West Room (study); North Room. 

Monks

This painting of a Monk with a Book is by Titian. 

The Green House

I wouldn't say that this painting is beautiful. It is honest and striking and lovely, however. At least in one woman's opinion. It's "The Green House, St. John's Wood," c. 1918, by Robert Bevan.

Book of Hours (Huntington HM 1174)

The Book of Hours known as Huntington Library Manuscript HM 1174 is one of my favorites.  If you like, you can take a quick look at many of its images here, with thumbnails, brief descriptions and much larger images. 

The first twelve images are devoted to the typical medieval calendar.  Here's the description provided by the Huntington Library catalogue of these pages:  

Each month of the calendar written across an opening;
both sides with bracket borders in the outer margins so as to almost enclose the opening;
in the lower margins, framed by gold columns and arches are,
    - on the verso a monthly occupation; and
    - on the facing recto, a smaller occupation scene continuing the activity of the first; 
      divided by a column from the adjacent zodiac symbol.

Here are the twelve, divided up according to season: 

Winter:

December

January

February

Spring:

March

April

May

Summer:

June

July

August

Autumn:

September

October

November

More soon! 

Nature.

There are so many wonderful nature photographs at this Flickr group.  As you get deeper into the collection, you'll see more and more which will catch your eye. 

Jacob and Esau

This stained glass window depicting Jacob and Esau is just beautiful.  The colors are so rich, and the detail is wonderful.  

In case you want to brush up on the Old Testament story of these two brothers, the relevant portion is at Genesis 25:29-34. 

Six Tuscan Poets (Vasari)

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, owner of a favorite museum website, has joined the Google Art Project.   Looking over its 158 offerings there, I spotted the Six Tuscan Poets, 1544, by Giorgio Vasari.   One is Dante and another is Petrarch.   Who are the other four?  According to ArtsConnected, the six are, from left to right: Marsilio Ficino, Cristoforo Landino, Giovanni Bocaccio, Francesco Petrarch, Dante Alighieri, and Cavalcanti.  

Vasar is, of course, best known for his "Lives of the Florentine Artists."   He was, however, an artist himself and, as we can see from this work, quite a good one. 

Our task is to free ourselves (Einstein)

AM, author of the very fine blog Talking 37th Dream (rumors of peace), has quoted Albert Einstein in one of her comments here.  The quotation is too good not to share: 

A human being is a part of the whole, called by us "Universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.

Having described the problem, Einstein then continues:

Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.

 

Two old favorites

Both of these old favorites are owned by the Wadsworth Atheneum in Connecticut: 

Monet painting in his garden at Argenteuil, by Pierre-Auguste Renoir  

Jane Avril, by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Pieter Brueghel

For some reason I love drawings and paintings by one artist that depict another artist.   Thus I was very pleased to discover this drawing of Pieter Brueghel by Anton Van Dyck. 

Beautiful story

I remember reading this story in 2011 when it was first published in the New York Times.  It's such a good story, though, so moving and real, that I like to go back from time to time and read it again.  

It's all about a wallet that was lost in about 1970 in New York City and then unexpectedly found, sealed away behind some masonry, just over forty years later.  Not long afterward, it was restored to its original owner.  What affects me the most, I think, is reading about how emotional a moment it was for that man when he first took hold of the wallet again, with all its thirty-year-old memories suddenly reawakend.  

This page at the New York Times site also has a short video that shows both the place where the wallet was hidden away in the old Times building and also the man's reaction when it is first handed back to him.  

 

Activity (again)

Again yesterday I needed to remind myself of the words of John Mason Good (1764-1827): 

Happiness consists in activity. 

And his continuation:  

Such is the constitution of our nature.  It is a running stream, and not a stagnant pool. 

 

Grace Rose

Take a look at the close-up of this painting called Grace Rose by British artist Frederick Sandys. 

Silver and gold (GAP)

I'm still loving the Search feature at Google Art Project. 

Have a look, for example at these 111 objects that have the word 'silver' in their title.  (Love that Episcopal silver mitre!)

Or these 215 objects that are returned upon searching for 'gold.'

 

All the days of my life

Sometimes I take this literally, but more often figuratively.   Either way, I think it's beautiful and it does sum up much of what I want and feel: 

One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.  (Psalm 27:4) (NIV)  

     

Book of Kells!

The Library of Trinity College, Dublin, has just placed the entirety of the Book of Kells online.  I havent' figured out yet how to bookmark individual pages, and that may actually prove impossible.   Take a look at these pages, however, to get a feel for some of the riches now available:

14,15;
53 (symbols of the Four Evangelists);
55, 56 (beg. of Gospel of St. Matthew);
63 (Christ enthroned);
64 (carpet page);
66 (famous Chi Rho page);
226 (Christ arrested);
246;
257 (symbols of Four Evangelists);
258 (beg. of Gospel);
372, 373, 374 (beg. of Gospel);
398-402 (genealogy of Christ);
403 (temptation of Christ);
568 (a personal favorite);
579 (symbols of the Four Evangelists);
581, 582 (beg. of Gospel of St. John);
677 (last surviving side).

Ex-voto paintings

Only yesterday did I come across ex-voto paintings for the first time, and I find myself haunted by them.  An ex-voto painting is one dedicated to God or a saint in thanks for a favor received, usually in answer to a prayer.   The painting usually depicts the situation needing help, and the supernatural power who secured it, and has an inscription at the bottom explaining what has happened. 

Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera were both very interested in ex-voto paintings as they are an important form of folk art in Mexico.   Here is one such painting that apparently belonged to Kahlo. 

Sacred Art Pilgrim

Just a few moments ago I discovered the Sacred Art Pilgrim website.   It is dedicated to sacred art of our own era, a much-neglected area.   People who enjoy this site (i.e., Something Beautiful) will probably find much to admire there.