Something Beautiful

French Gradual

Here are eight handsome pages from a 16th-century Gradual.   They is something very appealing about this work.   

The pages --

1. Christ among the disciples, with illusionistic floral/vegetal border
17. Stoning of St. Stephen
44 v. Male saints
101. v. Confessors

103. Ecclesiastical procession (personal favorite)
174. v. Anne and Joachim at the Temple
130 v. Monk and Abbots
136. Female saints

Book review (by me)

My energies over the last month were devoted, to a very large extent, to reading a set of five books on the subject of Abraham Lincoln's work as a practicing lawyer.   By prior arrangement with a legal publication, I wrote a review of the most recent volume, incorporating a brief survey of the other four.  Our agreement was that the review would be published on Lincoln's birthday (this past Monday).   The editor has now reneged on his commitment to publish for reasons that he has been unwilling to state, with an offhand promise to publish it "maybe" in March.   

I don't deal well with either dishonesty or uncertainty, so I am taking charge of my own small destiny and withdrawn my permission to allow the legal publication to use the review, now or in the future.    

(More on this story in a future entry!) 

St Petersburg, Russia

Some lovely photos of St Petersburg, Russia.   Click on the words "Full Size," to the right of the photo, to see the gorgeous high-resolution versions --

Catherine Palace

Chandelier, in the interior of the Cathedral of Sts Peter and Paul

Resurrection Cathedral (Note: do not miss the high-res version of this!)

 

Cézanne's Apples

The Metropolitan Museum of Art site has a good feature on the work of Post-Impressionist Paul Cézanne, Cézanne's Apples.   Take a look.  It's short and quite painless.   :-) 

St. John Lateran

This week's Sunday takes us to the Roman basilica of St. John Lateran (San Giovanni in Laterano).   Feast your eyes:

St. John Lateran Square
Interior: High altar and nave
Interior: Sanctuary and apse

Drawing (Cranach the Elder)

I think this a very handsome drawing -- Portrait of a Man,  ca. 1530, by Lucas Cranach the Elder (pen and black ink, black chalk, and oil paint).