Tag: Religious Art
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Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, Saint Nicholas
An icon painted in two registers. Greece, c. 1744. Heavy Softwood single panel. Egg tempera on gesso (gypsum), Konturritzungen, partially gilded. In the upper frame a full figure enthroned Christ flanked by the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist. The underlying three selected saints: St. Athanasius, St. Nicholas and St. Charalampi…. The upper frame is dated ‘1744’ ‘…
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Narcisse Virgile Diaz de la Peña, Departure of Diana to the hunt 01 Painting, Olympian deities, by the Old Masters, with footnotes #39
In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt, the moon and nature being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was eventually equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy. Diana was worshipped in ancient Roman religion and is…
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Josh Keyes; Siren 01 Contemporary Interpretations of Olympian deities, with footnotes #17
Portland-based artist Josh Keyes (previously) paints hyperrealistic depictions of what he perceives the world might look like after the fall of humans. Animals such as sharks, tigers, and bulls remain as the final witnesses to the aftermath of human destruction—observing blazing fires, investigating displaced commercial objects, and swimming amongst melted ice caps. More on this painting…
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Eric Geidl, Black Medusa 01 Work, Contemporary Interpretations of Olympian deities, with footnotes #20
In Greek mythology Medusa was a monster, a Gorgon, generally described as a winged human female with a hideous face and living venomous snakes in place of hair. Gazers on her face would turn to stone. She lived and died on an island named Sarpedon, somewhere near Cisthene. The 2nd-century BCE novelist Dionysios Skytobrachion puts her…
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William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Le jour des morts (All Saints’ Day) 01 Works, RELIGIOUS ART – Paintings from the Bible by the Old Masters, 5b
All Souls’ Day, Saturday of Souls, Thursday of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Halloween, All Saints’ Day, Samhain, Totensonntag, Blue Christmas. In Christianity, All Souls’ Day commemorates All Souls, the Holy Souls, or the Faithful Departed; that is, the souls of Christians who have died. Observing Christians typically remember deceased relatives on the day. In…
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Stéphanie Gevrey; ATHENA 01 Contemporary Interpretation, Olympian deities, with footnotes #14
Athena, often given the epithet Pallas, is the goddess of wisdom, craft, and war in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Athena is known for her calm temperament, as she moves slowly to anger. She is noted to have only fought for just reasons, and would not fight without a purpose. Athena is portrayed as an astute…
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Stéphanie Gevrey, Hera 01 Contemporary Interpretations of Olympian deities, with footnotes #13
Hera is the goddess of women, marriage, family, and childbirth in ancient Greek religion and myth, one of the Twelve Olympians and the sister-wife of Zeus. She is the daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Hera rules over Mount Olympus as queen of the gods. A matronly figure, Hera served as both the patroness and…
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Bolognese School, RINALDO AND ARMIDA 01 Works, RELIGIOUS ART – Interpretation of the bible, With Footnotes – 169
Armida is a fictional character created by the Italian late Renaissance poet Torquato Tasso. She is a Saracen sorceress. In his epic Gerusalemme liberata, Rinaldo is a fierce and determined warrior who is also honorable and handsome. Armida has been sent to stop the Christians from completing their mission and is about to murder the sleeping…
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Giovanni Battista Paggi, he Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine 01 Works, RELIGIOUS ART – Interpretation of the bible, With Footnotes – 133
The mystical marriage of Saint Catherine covers two different subjects in Christian art arising from visions received by either Catherine of Alexandria or Catherine of Siena (1347–1380), in which these virgin saints went through a mystical marriage wedding ceremony with Christ, in the presence of the Virgin Mary, consecrating themselves and their virginity to him. More…
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Circle of Raffaello Sanzio, Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist 01 Work, RELIGIOUS ART – Interpretation of the bible, With Footnotes – 128
The composition of the present painting derives from the celebrated Raphael prototype, the so-called Madonna of the Rose, painted in 1517, now in the Museo del Prado, Madrid, which is set indoors and with the figure of Saint Joseph on the left. This subject was returned to several times by Raphael’s workshop and by artists…
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Studio of Peter Paul Rubens, The Battle of the Amazons 01 Painting, Olympian deities, by the Old Masters, with footnotes #41
In Greek mythology, the Amazons were a race of woman warriors. The legendary Amazons were thought to have lived in Pontus, which is part of modern-day Turkey near the southern shore of the Black Sea. There they formed an independent kingdom under the government of a queen named Hippolyta or Hippolyte. This area is known…
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04 Works, RELIGIOUS ART – Today, January 12, is Saint Benedict Biscop’s Day, With Footnotes – 12
St. Benet (Benedict) Biscop carrying St. Peter’s Basilica to Britain, c. 8th C Saint Benedict Biscop, also called Benet Biscop, orBiscop Baducing, (born c. 628, Northumbria, Eng.—died Jan. 12, 689/690, Wearmouth, Northumbria; founder and first abbot of the twin monasteries of SS. Peter (at Wearmouth) and Paul (at Jarrow on Tyne); he is considered to be…
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Lovis Corinth, Susanna and the Elders 01 Painting, CONTEMPORARY & 20th Century Interpretation of the Bible! With Footnotes – 35
A fair Hebrew wife named Susanna was falsely accused by lecherous voyeurs. As she bathes in her garden, having sent her attendants away, two lustful elders secretly observe the lovely Susanna. When she makes her way back to her house, they accost her, threatening to claim that she was meeting a young man in the…
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Simeon Solomon, HABET! 01 Painting, Olympian deities, with footnotes #42
A striking scene in a Roman Amphitheater. The cry of Habet! (He is hit!) echoes around as the women make the decision whether to slay the vanquished gladiator or allow him to live. The women’s reactions vary from the anguish of the girl who has fainted in a pallid swoon, the horror of another who rushes forward with…
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Pieter Coecke van Aelst, Saint Jerome 01 Painting, PORTRAIT OF A LADY., with Footnotes. #44
Jerome (c. 347 – 30 September 420) was a priest, confessor, theologian and historian. He was the son of Eusebius, born at Stridon, a village near Emona on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia, then part of northeastern Italy. He is best known for his translation of most of the Bible into Latin (the translation that…
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Gabrielle Bakker Leda, 2011 01 Contemporary Interpretation of Olympian deities, with footnotes #19
Leda, in Greek legend, usually believed to be the daughter of Thestius, king of Aetolia, and wife of Tyndareus, king of Lacedaemon. She was also believed to have been the mother (by Zeus, who had approached and seduced her in the form of a swan) of the other twin, Pollux, and of Helen, both of…
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Netherlandish School, The Lamentation 01 Works, RELIGIOUS ART – Interpretation of the bible, With Footnotes – 132
This work depicts several scenes taking place simultaneously: In the background we see Christ’s deposition from the cross on Mount Calvary whilst His body is anointed in the foreground. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea hold Christ’s body whilst Mary Magdalene kneels ready with the ointment jar at his feet. The Virgin is shown in the centre of the work supported by Saint John. The grave…
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Artus Wolffort, Esther’s Toilet in the Harem of Ahasuerus, circa 1620 01 Works, RELIGIOUS ART – Interpretation of the bible, With Footnotes – 168
This subject was depicted by Wolffort several times, which attests to its popularity. The scene derives from the Book of Esther in the Old Testament, which tells the story of how an orphaned Jewish woman is selected by King Ahasuerus of Persia to become his queen. In this painting, Esther is the standing figure at…
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The Ten Holy Martyrs of Crete 03 Works, RELIGIOUS ART – The Ten Holy Martyrs of Crete’s Day, With Footnotes – 157
The Ten Holy Martyrs of Crete: Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunician, Zoticus, Pompius, Agathopus, Basilides and Evaristus were a group of ten Christian men from Crete who suffered martyrdom during the persecutions of emperor Decius during the third century. They are commemorated on December 23. The Ten refused to worship at the shrine of the deity…
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Simone Pignoni, The Rape of Proserpine 01 Paintings, Olympian deities, by the Old Masters, with footnotes # 34
Proserpina, or Proserpine is an ancient Roman goddess whose cult, myths and mysteries were based on those of Greek Persephone and her mother Demeter, the Greek goddess of grain and agriculture. The Romans identified Proserpina with their native fertility goddess Libera, daughter of the grain and agriculture goddess Ceres and wife to Liber. Venus, in order…
Zaidan Gallery 