Something Beautiful

Mixed Flowers (R. O'Conor)

So first I put the single word pink into the Search window at Google Art Project.   From the many results  thus delivered to me, my eye was drawn to Mixed Flowers on Pink Cloth, c. 1916, by Roderic O'Conor.   This painting is one of many interesting works at Te Papa, a museum in New Zealand.  

The Yellow House (Van Gogh)

The Yellow House is one of my Van Gogh favorites. It's at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

Assumption of the Virgin (Patinir)

This Assumption of the Virgin, c. 1500, by Joachim Patinir, is at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It won't strike everyone as beautiful, but it has considerable appeal for me. First, I love the legend about how all the apostles were able to gather at Mary's bedside as soon as it became known that she was dying. Next, the figures of Christ and God the Father at the top, preparing to welcome Mary, are very nicely done. Finally, the roundels of the Nativity and the Resurrection, in the two upper corners, are remarkable for their detail.

Bazille's Studio

I love paintings of work spaces. And paintings of artists. So what could be betterthan a painting of an artist's studio?   Herewith Bazille's Studio, by Frederic Bazille himself (1870).  
 

Robert Campin

The Google Art Project has six works by outstanding artist Robert Campin.     Of these, I am especially taken with this panel of the Trinity done in grisaille.    It is the Annunciation Triptych, however, which is the most astonishing.   I have found myself drawn back to it again and again over the years. 

Grandes Heures: Life of Christ

Life and Death of Christ:

f. 111v - Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead / f. 112r - facing

f. 227v - The Kiss of Judas / f. 228r - facing

f. 47v - Crucifixion (death of Christ)/ f. 48r - facing

f. 2v - Lamentation at the foot of the Cross

f. 49v - Pentecost / f. 50r - facing

Grandes Heures: Childhood of Jesus

Childhood of Jesus:

f. 51v - Nativity / f. 52r - facing
f. 159v - Adoration of the Child / f. 160r - facing
f. 58v - Annunciation to the Shepherds / f. 59v - facing
f. 64v - Adoration of the Magi / f. 65r - facing

f. 70v - Presentation in the Temple (Simeon) / f. 71r - facing (beautiful!)
f. 218v - Holy Family with St. Anne / f. 219r - facing

f. 76v - Flight into Egypt / f. 77r - facing 
f. 215v - Rest on the Flight to Egypt / f. 216r - facing

f. 222v - Holy Family, with Jesus teaching/ f. 223r - facing

 

Grandes Heures: Life of Mary

Life of Mary:

f. 197v - Mary learning to read / f. 198r - facing
f. 26v - Annunciation / f. 27r
f. 36v - Visitation /  f. 37r 

Grandes Heures: Monthly calendar

Every Book of Hours seems to have a monthly calendar, i.e., a set of twelve, or twenty-four, pages devoted to the feast days of each month.  These pages often depict a labor that is typical of the month in question, and even the astrological signs for the month.  

The Grandes Heures d'Anne de Bretagne has, as one would expect, a set of sumptuous illustrations for the months of the years. On the left of each set is a page containing text and marginal decoration; on the right is a list of the month's feast days with an illustration of an activity typical of that month.  

January: f. 4r
February: f. 4v / f. 5r
March: f. 5v / f. 6r
April: f. 6v / f. 7r
May: f. 7v / f. 8r
June: f. 8v / f. 9r

July: f. 9v / f. 10r
August: f. 10v / f. 11r
September: f. 11v / f. 12r
October: f. 12v / f. 13r
November: f. 13v / f. 14r
December: f. 14v / f. 15r

 

Quaere: is the illustrator having us on with respect to the laborer on the left in the June page? It seems to me that he is!

Grandes Heures: Evangelists

I've fallen in love with the Grandes Heures d'Anne de Bretagne, and hope to post links to various 'sets' of miniatures in it. Here are its portraits of the four evangelists, along with the decorated pages facing each:

Evangelists:

f. 16v - St. John / f. 17r

f. 19v - St. Luke / f. 20r

f. 21v - St. Matthew / f. 22r  

f. 24v - St. Mark / f. 25r