The Annunciation is an integral part of the Christmas Advent season. One of my favorite renditions of this scene is the Merode Altarpiece. It is a treasure of the Met Cloisters, atop a hill hidden in the far north end of New York City’s Manhattan Island. It is a true blend of medieval and modern in our own country.
Category Archives: Travel
Film Discussion: The Agony & the Ecstasy (Italy)
“The Agony and The Ecstasy” includes 3 of my favorite things: Michelangelo, Renaissance and Italy; this film has them all, and much more! Set in Florence and Rome, this in-depth drama of Michelangelo’s painting of the Sistine ceiling and his battle-of-wills with Pope Julius II is filled with history, drama and lots of great art.
Homage to Sweden: Saints, Artists and Ancestors (Hernmarck)
Today is December 13th, Santa Lucia Day in Sweden! To honor her and this festival of lights, plus my Swedish ancestors and my favorite Swedish artist, textile artist Helena Hernmarck, I’m issuing Homage to Sweden.
LOVE says it all…in Art (Indiana)
LOVE says it all…in art and in marriage (hopefully!) This week’s art is dedicated to my great husband on our 43rd anniversary. I love this artwork as it reminds me of my time living in NYC in the late 60’s. It became the pop symbol of the flower-powered decade, despite the artist’s association of love with his faith. Versions of LOVE are found in 2D and 3D sculptures, along with much memorabilia. Click on the link to find out more about both this iconic symbol as well as the artist.
A Dome. . . A Birthday. . . A Trip to Israel
Jerusalem’s “Dome on the Rock” on Temple Mount, sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims, is iconic for the Old City. My last trip to Jerusalem also commemorates my most memorable birthday!
Michelangelo Alert! (MOA Exhibit; Mpls, MN)
Michelangelo Alert! Rome comes to Minneapolis! The Sistine Chapel art exhibit at the MOA (Mall of America) is a phenomenal close up of one of Michelangelo’s masterpieces. It can be touched, photographed, and seen up close as never before!
Art for Halloween – or All-Hallow’s-Eve? (Luther & Cranach)
October 31st is Halloween, right? So why would I post a famous painting of a famous German theologian by a famous German artist–on Halloween? October 31st has dueling holidays, and it is more than just proximity on the calendar. Click on the painting of Luther for more information as I attempt to make the complex simple!
Let it Snow…Let it Snow…but not quite yet! Snow in Art (Bruegel)
First snow of the season! How is snow portrayed in art? “Hunters in the Snow” by Bruegel is the all time winner in the art world! The painting has always made me feel COLD, as I do in right now in our unseasonably cold and snowy autumn. Maybe that is the reason for the success of the painting; how the artist wanted us to feel! If so, he was successful. For more about this artist, this painting, and where you can see it–click on the picture for insights and information!
No Masks Required! No Social Distancing in Art! Le Moulin de la Galette (Renoir)
No social distancing; no masks required! Except for the fashions, this could be a modern club scene today–much to the chagrin of the CDC! Renoir was one Impressionist who often turned to Paris nightlife for his subjects, such as this one in the Montmartre District: La Moulin de la Galette. Travel Tip: The Montmartre area of Paris has much to offer–Food, art, architecture, entertainment, ambiance–but be wary of the time of day/night that you visit!
Golden Autumn! Golden Art! (Klimt)
Golden Autumn! Golden Art! Much like the golden colors carpeting our Minnesota lawns and landscapes this time of year, Gustaf Klimt shares the blazing reds, ambers and golds to remind us of autumn. His “Birch Trees,” though void of people, share the luminous golds present in his more famous oil paintings: “The Kiss” and “Woman in Gold” with its colorful history, having been stolen by the Nazis in 1941 and on which the 2015 film was based
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