A revisited exhibition
Today's forecast is 23C/74F, cloudy in my area, but really sunny in London where I headed off to this morning. I met a friend at Charing Cross and we walked over to the National Gallery to see the Saint Francis of Assisi exhibition. You may remember that I'd been to see it back in May, but my friend hand't seen it and was interested (and I thought it was worth a second look as it finishes at the end of the month). Under the cut for things I didn't take photos of before (the exhibition is quite large).
The Chartula (1224) is one of only two surviving autographs by Saint Francis and is preserved in Assisi. It contains a blessing for Brother Leo, his companion and an intriguing drawing of a Tau (T-shaped) cross emerging from the head of a man seen in profile. Francis' text is in black and Leo's text is in red.
St Francis of Assisi with Angels (about 1475) by Sandro Botticelli. The background of this is so lovely and quite old-fashioned for the time it was produced. Gold over a textured background.
From the Church of Santa Croce in Florence (one of the most important Franciscan churches in the world), one of the habits believed to have been worn by Francis himself. I'm always quite cynical about relics like this but what do I know?
The Sacred Exchange between Saint Francis and Lady Poverty by Francesco di Giorgio Martini. Lovely work with the textured gold leaf for the background and the halos.
I completely missed this tiny little painting by Josefa de Óbidos the first time I saw the exhibition. She was a nun who was only 16 or 17 when she painted Saint Francis and Saint Clare adoring the Christ Child in a Manger (1647). Francis instigated what we now call Nativity plays or Christmas cribs in a town in Umbria called Greccio. He was the first to recreate the nativity which has since become a Christmas tradition.
Saint Francis in Meditation by Francisco de Zurbaràn (1639). The painting is huge and spectacular but my friend and I were totally amazed at the little trompe l'oille 'sticker' on the bottom right which has the date and name of the artist. Honestly, you felt you could pull it off the painting it was so clever from every angle!
It was good to go back to the exhibition and I really enjoyed going with a friend. She is far more religious than me, and I told her a lot about painting techniques and history and she told me more about the religious stories. It was a good combo!
The exit of the exhibition brought us out into the new refurbished Renaissance gallery at the National, and I couldn't pass this lovely lady without taking a photo. No one knows who she is, but Lorenzo Lotto painted Portrait of a Woman inspired by Lucretia around 1530. I love her feisty expression and the painting of her clothing is lovely.
After a stop for lunch I got home around 2.30pm so now I'm relaxing as tonight I have an extra Pilates lesson to make up for one I missed last week. Two hours instead of one with the magic circle - I must be mad LOL!
Just time for today's question: 18 - World Listening Day: Rather than simply listening to other people talk, World Listening Day was created to draw attention to the way humans need to be listening to the world around us, including environmental awareness, soundscapes and acoustic ecology. What does the world around you sound like right now?
The house is very quiet - Youngest Cee is still working in the front room as his work day has another hour. Mr Cee is sitting with a purring cat on his lap as his workday has finished. So the only sound is me clicking the keys on the laptop :)
The Chartula (1224) is one of only two surviving autographs by Saint Francis and is preserved in Assisi. It contains a blessing for Brother Leo, his companion and an intriguing drawing of a Tau (T-shaped) cross emerging from the head of a man seen in profile. Francis' text is in black and Leo's text is in red.
St Francis of Assisi with Angels (about 1475) by Sandro Botticelli. The background of this is so lovely and quite old-fashioned for the time it was produced. Gold over a textured background.
From the Church of Santa Croce in Florence (one of the most important Franciscan churches in the world), one of the habits believed to have been worn by Francis himself. I'm always quite cynical about relics like this but what do I know?
The Sacred Exchange between Saint Francis and Lady Poverty by Francesco di Giorgio Martini. Lovely work with the textured gold leaf for the background and the halos.
I completely missed this tiny little painting by Josefa de Óbidos the first time I saw the exhibition. She was a nun who was only 16 or 17 when she painted Saint Francis and Saint Clare adoring the Christ Child in a Manger (1647). Francis instigated what we now call Nativity plays or Christmas cribs in a town in Umbria called Greccio. He was the first to recreate the nativity which has since become a Christmas tradition.
Saint Francis in Meditation by Francisco de Zurbaràn (1639). The painting is huge and spectacular but my friend and I were totally amazed at the little trompe l'oille 'sticker' on the bottom right which has the date and name of the artist. Honestly, you felt you could pull it off the painting it was so clever from every angle!
It was good to go back to the exhibition and I really enjoyed going with a friend. She is far more religious than me, and I told her a lot about painting techniques and history and she told me more about the religious stories. It was a good combo!
The exit of the exhibition brought us out into the new refurbished Renaissance gallery at the National, and I couldn't pass this lovely lady without taking a photo. No one knows who she is, but Lorenzo Lotto painted Portrait of a Woman inspired by Lucretia around 1530. I love her feisty expression and the painting of her clothing is lovely.
After a stop for lunch I got home around 2.30pm so now I'm relaxing as tonight I have an extra Pilates lesson to make up for one I missed last week. Two hours instead of one with the magic circle - I must be mad LOL!
Just time for today's question: 18 - World Listening Day: Rather than simply listening to other people talk, World Listening Day was created to draw attention to the way humans need to be listening to the world around us, including environmental awareness, soundscapes and acoustic ecology. What does the world around you sound like right now?
The house is very quiet - Youngest Cee is still working in the front room as his work day has another hour. Mr Cee is sitting with a purring cat on his lap as his workday has finished. So the only sound is me clicking the keys on the laptop :)