Tuesday, March 26, 2024

many diadems


piet mondrian
dutch
1872-1944
lily, 1921 (rare late date for a mondrian flower)
watercolor and pencil on paper
kunstmuseum den haag, netherlands
(formerly gemeentemuseum den haag)
~
:many diadems:
designating His supreme sovereignty and dominion
~
crown Him with many crowns
matthew bridges, 1851
godfrey thring, 1871 (alterer)
~
all hail the power of Jesus' name/crown Him lord of all
edward perronet, 1780
philippians 2:9-11

under the cross at calvary


ubaldo gandolfi
italian
1728-1781
a sleeping roman legionary
oil on paper laid down on card
9 x 13 inches
sold at christie's london, 2010
estimate
40-60,000 gbp
hammer price
373,250 gbp
estimate and hammer included to denote the recognized rarity of this strikingly singular and intimate image
~
:preparatory sketch for a sleeping soldier in the artist's large scale fresco, Resurrection, painted in a chapel of the Portico di San Luca, Bologna:
~
were you there
were you there-lovely choral version
african american spiritual, 19th century
~
when i survey the wondrous cross
isaac watts, 1707
considered 'the father of english hymnody'; credited with having written over 600 hymns
-a marble mural monument was dedicated to his memory: south choir, westminster abbey-

Monday, March 18, 2024

for palm sunday-art & hymnology


john constable
1776-1837
A Donkey, 1816
oil on panel
9 3/4 x 12 inches
private collection, uk
~
latin hymn
gloria, laus et honor
all glory, laud and honor
theodulf of orléans, 820
written while imprisoned at the monastery of angers
~
though befriended by charlemagne,
upon charles the great's death, his son and successor-louis the pious, ever suspicious and paranoid of being overthrown imprisoned the bishop of orléans
[it has been told (clichtoveus) that later, louis, whelmed with regret, released theodulf after hearing, in his cell, the bishop's worship and chanting of the hymn.  though a moving tale, it is most likely an apocryphal one]
~
hymn translated by john mason neale
~
music written circa 1613 by melchior teschner, a cantor in the german lutheran church
~
:johann sebastian bach later took use of teschner's tune:
originally for herberger's
valet will ich dir geben
for use in his oratorio
passio secundum joannem
for the occasion of Good Friday

e'er looking east

van gogh
~striking example of van gogh's well documented interest in japanese prints/woodblocks;
here his hand remarkably evinces that influence and inspiration~
Rain, 1889
oil on canvas
28 7/8 x 36 3/8 inches
:painted outside arles, france:
philadelphia museum of art

Monday, March 11, 2024

chinese jun octagonal cup



very rare purple-splashed
jun octagonal cup
Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368)
christie's
21 & 22 march 2024
lot 940

Sunday, February 11, 2024


Leopold von Kalckreuth
german 1855-1928
:great uncle to dietrich bonhoeffer:
The Artist's Wife, 1885/1890
watercolor over graphite on wove paper
8 7/8 x 11 7/8 inches
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
~
it is well with my soul
horatio g. spafford, 1873
written at sea
near the spot his four daughters were lost
(ss ville du havre)
~
...and while en route to reunite with his wife who survived;
telegramming her husband from wales:
"saved alone.  what shall i do?"

Saturday, February 10, 2024




ilya repin
russian 1844-1930
~the vera's~
artist's daughter and artist's wife

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

loved dearly



julia margaret cameron
british 1815-1879
albumen silver print
~
thomas couture
french 1815-1879
oil on canvas
~
Immanuel
~with us is God~
romans 12:12
2 corinthians 4:8-9
isaiah 41:10
*proverbs 3:5-6*

Monday, December 18, 2023

beauty to behold




clarence hudson white
american, 1871-1925
exhibit of photographs
princeton university art museum
october 2017 through january 2018
~
lo, how a rose e'er blooming
german advent hymn
15th century
~the intended read here of this hymn being the praetorius interpretation which points to Christ~
...dispels with glorious splendor
the darkness everywhere...

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

 

zurbarán
agnus dei, 1635-40
oil on canvas
14 1/2 x 25 inches
museo del prado

...by my woes to be...or if on joyful wing
nearer, my God, to Thee
sarah flower adams, 1841
lsb 533