Expulsion

Thomas Cole (1801 - 1848)
Expulsion. Moon and Firelight, c. 1828
Oil on canvas
91,4 x 122 cm
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

Landscape was no longer merely descriptive but had become a vehicle for expressing religious and moral meanings and for representing man's vulnerability in the face of nature and God's powers over this nature.

This painting is linked to two biblical paintings which Cole exhibited in 1828 : Paradise (Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth), and The Expulsion from Paradise (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston). (below)

Note the contrasts between the moonlight and the daylight, the fire from the volcano and the water, the earth and the air, emphasising the conventions of the Sublime.

Thomas Cole (1801 - 1848)
Expulsion from the Garden of Eden 1828
Oil on canvas 100.96 x 138.43 cm (39 3/4 x 54 1/2 in.)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Of this painting, Davis, et al., MFA Highlights: American Painting (Boston, 2003) says:

"[H]is scene of Adam and Eve dwarfed by promontories of terrifying proportions recalls British painter and printmaker John Martin's illustrations for John Milton's Paradise Lost, which was popular on both sides of the Atlantic. Cole's dramatic use of light streaming through the rocky portal to Paradise is clearly reminiscent of Martin's history paintings.

In his 1835 Essay on American Scenery, Cole would describe the beauties of the American wilderness and its capacity to reveal God's creation as a metaphoric Eden.

He considered European scenery to reflect the ravages of civilization, for which extensive forests had been felled, rugged mountains had been smoothed, and impetuous rivers had been turned from their courses.

In contrast, Cole believed the American wilderness to embody a state of divine grace and lamented that the signs of progress were rapidly encroaching.

In his Expulsion, Cole vividly portrays both Paradise and a hostile world replete with the consequences of earthly knowledge. These opposing realms meet near the center of the canvas. The profusion of flora and fauna evokes the beauty and harmony of Eden. Outside the gate to Paradise, Adam and Eve are cast into an abyss marked by blasted trees, desolate rocks, and an ominous wolf."

After the Deluge

Thomas Cole (1801 - 1848)
The Subsiding of the Waters of the Deluge
1829
oil on canvas
90.80 X 99.99 cm
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC

Cole rose to prominence in the late 1820s as America's first important landscape painter.

He was born in Bolton, near Manchester, England. At age 17, he emigrated to the United States.

He was the first of the Hudson River School of painters

He excelled in landscape.But religious themes also predominate. He converted to Anglicanism late in life.

This painting is not a recognisable American landscape.But one can only gasp at the imagination which produced such an image of a landscape after a disaster

Assusted Dying

The debate in the UK rumbles on but at a low level.

Ms Purdy, a woman suffering from multiple sclerosis, brought a case to clarify the law on assisted suicide. She wanted to ensure that if she travelled with her husband to a Swiss clinic to end her life, he would not be prosecuted on his return to Britain.

The law as it stands means that if her husband does accompany her he may be prosecuted if the Director of Public Prosecutions decides that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public's interest to do so.

The judges said that although they have every sympathy with Ms Purdy they cannot help her to clarify the law. The courts can give her no guidance.

In the words of Lord Justice Scott Baker and Mr Justice Aikens: “The offence of assisted suicide is very widely drawn to cover all manner of different circumstance; only Parliament can change it.”

Lord Joffe (one of the advocates of "liberalisation") in The Times has written an article advocating a major change in the law.


Thankfully his emotional article has not gone unanswered.

Lord Carlile of Berriew, QC and William Cowan in separate letters to The Times make it quite clear that the present campaign is entirely misguided and emotional. Opposition to the proposals are not only founded on religion or faith. Arguments on the basis of public safety, legal certainty and the protection by the law of the vulnerable. are and should be enough to defeat any such proposal to allow "assisted dying".

Old photographs

On 15th November 2008, the Paris Office of Sotheby`s is auctioning the photographic Collection of Marie-Thérèse and André Jammes

There are many early photographs for sale. Here are some interesting early photographs.

ÉMILE PÉCARRÈRE (1816-1904)
FEMME EN PRIÈRE, VERS 1850
Salt paper print
23,8 x 15 cm (9 3/8 x 5 7/8 in.)

NADAR (GASPARD-FÉLIX TOURNACHON) (1820-1910)
PORTRAIT DE BAUDELAIRE, VERS 1855
Cabinet card. Albumen print, mounted on card bearing studio stamp. Series and studio credit printed in red ink on the reverse.
14,1 x 10,4 cm (5½ x 4 1/8 in.) et 23,1 x 17,2 cm (9 1/8 x 6¾ in.)

CHARLES NÈGRE (1820-1880)
ASILE IMPÉRIAL DE VINCENNES, LA VISITE DU MÉDECIN, 1858-59
Albumen print from a colldion negative. Annotated in pencil on the reverse.
21,6 x 16,5 cm (8½ x 6½ in.)

Daniel in the Lion's Den

Max Klinger 1857-1920
Daniel in the Lion's Den 1879
Pen and ink on paper
55 by 43cm., 21¾ by 17in
Private collection

Descente de croix

Maurice Denis 1870-1943
Descente de croix / Descent from the cross 1901
Oil on canvas
116 by 130cm., 45½ by 51¼in.
Signed with monogram annd dated 1901 lower left
Private collection

Inspired by Raphael's The Deposition in the Galleria Borghese which he saw in 1898 when in Rome with André Gide

Denis' wife Marthe is depicted holding the shroud, while Denis portays himself taking the nails out of Christ's hands.

His friend, the poet Adrien Mithouard holds Christ's body, while his wife can be seen proffering a bouquet of flowers.

Denis furthermore placed the scene in his home town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, visible in the background.

The frame for Descente de croix was custom made and painted by his wife Marthe.

Death of Sarah

Pieter de Kempeneer (also known as Pedro de Campaña) (1503-1580)
Abraham burying Sarah
Pen and ink (brown), bodycolour (white) on paper (blue)
Height: 20 cm; Width: 26.2 cm
Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery, London

The artist was a Netherlandish painter, active mainly in Seville and known by the Spanish form of his name rather than the Flemish one, Pieter de Kempeneer.

He helped to introduce the Mannerist style in Seville

He returned to Brussels in 1563, when he became a tapestry designer for the city, and he died there in 1580

Sarah died aged about 127, and was buried in the Cave of the Patriarchs near Hebron, which Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite, along with the adjoining field (Genesis 23). Here Abraham himself was buried so they could be with each other forever (Gen. 25:9).

Ephron demanded an exhorbitant price of 400 pieces of silver, which Abraham paid in full. The Cave would eventually be the burial site for all three Jewish patriarchs and three of the four matriarchs—Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah.

A Medieval Last Will and Testament

In thirteenth century England, the Church extended its jurisdiction over last wills and testaments, notably challenges to their validity, and the performance of executors. Where a testator held property in two or more jurisdictions, it was generally necessary to obtain probate from an ecclesiastical court

Historians debate to what extent we can trust wills as evidence of the religious attitudes of the testators

However medieval wills show that the testator was in particular concerned with religious matters and what would happen after his or her death.

The Preamble of most medieval Wills is like a prayer.

Charitable bequests especially masses for the repose of souls of the Testator and his family are common.

Here is a transcription of part of the last will and testament of Robert Chichele. (died 1439), twice Lord Mayor of the City of London

He was one of three brothers who all achieved positions of importance in society. His younger brother Henry, born ca.1362, settled on a career in the Church and was chosen Archbishop of Canterbury in 1414, dying in that office in 1443.

His Will is particularly strong on charitable bequests including the relief of prisoners.

"In the name of God, Amen. On 5 June 1439, in the 17th year of the reign of Henry VI, king of England, I, Robert Chichele, citizen and grocer of the city of London, being of sound mind and memory, make and set out my testament concerning my moveable possessions, in the following manner.

First, I leave and commend my soul to almighty God, my creator and my saviour, to the Blessed Virgin Mary his mother, and to all the saints, and my body to be buried in the nave of the parish church of St. James Garlickhithe, London, of which I am presently a parishioner.

I bequeath to the reverend lord Henry, by the grace of God archbishop of Canterbury, my brother, each and every pearl that I own, or whatever sort it may be, large or small. I bequeath to the rector of the church of St. James 40s., that the rector may say special prayers for my soul. I bequeath to each chaplain of that church who celebrates there and undertakes services to pray especially for my soul, 13s.4d. I bequeath to each of the parish clerks of that church 6s.8d, also to pray for my soul. I bequeath towards the structural fabric of that church, for my burial as pre-arranged, £10. I bequeath to each of the four orders of mendicant friars in the city of London (that is, the Augustinians, the Minorites, the Preachers, and the Carmelites) 40s., that the brothers specially commend my soul to God. I leave 20s.to the friars of the order of the Holy Cross next to the Tower of London, on the same condition. I leave £10 to be expended on and distributed among chaplains who celebrate services within the city of London and its suburbs; each chaplain to receive 4d. for as long as the £10 holds out, so that they may pray for my soul.

I bequeath £20 to be distributed in the same fashion among prisoners held in the gaols of the city of London and its suburbs or persons laid up in hospitals within the city and suburbs, each prisoner or patient to receive 4d. while the £20 lasts. I bequeath to the convent of Tandridge £6.13s.4d to pray specially for my soul.

I bequeath £60 for the marriage of thirty girls of good reputation; that is, 40s. to each of the thirty girls as her dowry.

I bequeath £60 towards acquitting and freeing from gaol various prisoners detained in the gaols within the city of London and its suburbs, or in the King's Bench and Marshalsea; to go as far as it will stretch, on the understanding that no more than 20s. maximum be paid for the acquittance and freeing of any single prisoner.

I leave £133.13s.4d to be distributed among prisoners held in the gaols within the city of London and its suburbs, as well as in the King's Bench, Marshalsea, and the gaol of the abbot of Westminster; that is, each week for the two years following my death, 26s.8d for the purchase of bread to be distributed among those prisoners, so that the prisoners in those gaols receive weekly a loaf worth a halfpenny, throughout those two years.

I bequeath £20 to be distributed among poor householders in the Vintry and Queenhithe wards, at the discretion of my executors identified below.

I bequeath my nephew, John Chichele, £20. I bequeath £20 to have twenty trentals celebrated in St. Gregory's for the souls of myself, my wives Elizabeth, Agnes, and Agnes, as well as those of my parents, friends, and benefactors, together with all deceased Christians.

I bequeath to John Stystede, my servant, and his wife £10. I bequeath £20 to be distributed, at the discretion of my executors, among my other servants who are in my service in London on the day I die. I bequeath £20 to be distributed among the parish churches of Higham Ferrers, for their fabric. I bequeath to Thomas Spytele £5. I bequeath £20 to support poor brethren of the London grocers' company. I bequeath £5 to Anthony Astell, fishmonger of London. I bequeath £5 to his brother, John Astell, saddler of London. I bequeath to Lady Florence, the widow of John Darell and daughter of William Chichele, my brother, £10. I bequeath £10 to Thomas Knolles, citizen and grocer of London. I bequeath £10 to the master of the college of Higham Ferrers and his colleagues of that place, to pray specially for my soul. I bequeath 100s. towards the structural fabric of the parish church of Tandridge. I bequeath £5 to be distributed, at the discretion of William Warbylton esq., amongst the poor of Tandridge parish. I bequeath 40s. towards the structural fabric of the parish church of Sherfield. I bequeath £10 to William Warbylton.

I bequeath to each of my executors identified below, for undertaking the task of executing this my testament, £10.

The remainder of all my moveable goods and chattels whatsoever, after my debts have been paid and my testament fulfilled, I wish and bequeath to be entirely disposed of by my executors in works of charity for [the good of] my soul and the souls of those mentioned above; such as in the celebration of masses, distribution to poor people, repairs to bridges and roads, and other pious uses, just as their good judgement leads them to think will be most pleasing to God and most profitable for the salvation of my soul and the other souls mentioned.

I appoint as executors of my testament John Lorchyn grocer, John Broddesworth mercer, John Wyverton fishmonger, and Styfford the draper, citizens of the city of London.

In testimony to which matters I have put my seal to this testament. Drawn up at London, on the day and year indicated above. "

[From Lambeth Palace Library, Reg. Chichele, I, ff.450-52, 467-69, 484-85

Transcription in: E.F. Jacob, ed. The Register of Henry Chichele, Archbishop of Canterbury 1414-1443, vol.2, Canterbury and York Society, no.42 (1937), 519-26, 564-68, 615-20

Original language: Latin]

For more on the subject see Florilegium Urbanum


The medieval church of St. James Garlickhithe (dedicated to St James of Compostela) was destroyed in the Great Fire of London and replaced by a Sir Christopher Wren designed church in 1674-87.

The earliest international company in the world was set up by the Hanseatic League in the 13th century, on the site now occupied by Cannon Street rail station within the parish of St James Garlickhythe. Old records describe the building as the principal factory in Dowgate Ward, provided with handsome spacious quays for the import and export of goods throughout the League. This area was soon extended with additional warehouse space and housing for the traders and their agents from Germany.

Blessed Francis Venimbeni

Giuseppe Cades (Italian, Rome 1750 - 1799 Rome)
Blessed Francis Venimbeni Celebrating Mass for souls in Purgatory
Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over black chalk; 20-1/16 x 11-1/16 in. (50.9 x 28.1 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum, New York

Francis of Fabriano (Francesco Venimbeni or Veninbeni) (b. 2 September 1251; d. 22 April 1322) was an Italian Franciscan writer. He was beatified in 1775.

He asked for admission at a neighbouring Franciscan convent, in 1267. He applied himself to the study of theology, and devoted the remainder of his life to missionary labours in his native town and vicinity

Giuseppe Cades (1750-1799), a Roman artist who could paint and draw in every style. He seems to have specialised in paintings with a historical theme.

The Times US presidential rankings

Abraham Lincoln
(1861-1865)

The American Presidential Election is a few days away.

The Times with a panel of experts has compiled a list of all the American Presidents in order of greatness.

Perhaps not surprisingly Abraham Lincoln tops the list, followed by George Washington., Franklin D. Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt

The bottom five ?

Richard Nixon, William Harrison, Martin Van Buren, Franklin Pierce, and lastly James Buchanan.

All Souls' Day

Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848-1884)
All Souls' Day c.1882
Oil on canvas, 46 × 55 cm
Museum of Fine Arts, (Szépmüvészeti Múzeum) Budapest

Bastien-Lepage died very young at 36

His style was naturalistic and realistic but there are seen the effects of the influence of the Impressionists.

Studies of simple rural life attracted him.

Degas once called Bastien-Lepage "the Bouguereau of naturalism"

His exactitude for detail leads almost to photographic effects.

St John Klimakos

Icon of the Heavenly Ladder of St John Klimakos,

Constantinople or Sinai, late 12th century
Egg-tempera and gold leaf on wood, primed with cloth and gesso
The Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine and the Supreme Council of Antiquities

John Klimakos – John of the Ladder (c 570-649) was a hermit, who became abbot of St Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai. In his last years St John resigned his position and returned to the life of a hermit.

Persuaded by Abbot John of Raithu to record the sayings of the Fathers, he encapsulated these in the “The Ladder of Divine Ascent.” His personal comments and anecdotes enliven this account of Christian pilgrimage, appealing to all believers.

St John describes our spiritual journey as a ladder of thirty rungs, the first “hidden” thirty years of Christ’s life. He also bears in mind the ladder in Jacob’s dream, with angels in attendance.

Thus he received the cognomen of “Ladder”, “Klimakos” in the Greek. He encourages Christians to overcome their weaknesses, mental and carnal, to reach the summit, where Love is supreme..

In a Spanish translation from a Latin translation, this was the first book published in the New World (Mexico), in 1532.

The Icon above now on display at The Royal Academy in London shows monks on a ladder to Heaven are being tempted and then picked off by diabolic creatures, dragged to the mouth of Hell with black chains.

Pope to postpone plans for Pius beatification ?

Pius XII

The Times reports today that Pope Benedict XVI is likely to wait at least six years before considering beatification of Pius XII, the pope during the Second World War, according to officials

The delay is being regarded as a concession to Jewish groups who say that Pius, head of the Roman Catholic Church from 1939 to 1958, remained silent during the Holocaust and was passive towards the persecution of Jews.

David Rosen, president of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, said that the Pope was “seriously considering” not proceeding with the beatification before the opening of archives on Pius. The Vatican said that the archives would not be open to researchers for at least six years. It said this month that “a time for reflection would be appropriate”. The decree that Pope Benedict must sign has been held by the Vatican since May.

Richard Prasquier, president of the Representative Council of French Jewry, said that he was satisfied by the probable delay.

Paul Preaching at Athens

Raffaello Santi 1483 - 1520
Paul Preaching at Athens, 1515-16
Bodycolour on paper mounted onto canvas (tapestry cartoon),
304 x 404cm
V&A /The Royal Collection, London

The theme of this particular cartoon comes from Acts 17:16-34

Paul is depicted preaching to a group of councillors at the Areopagus (the seat of the judicial council) at Athens.

In the detail above, one can see that behind Paul are two figures paying him rapt attention: the bearded man is Janus Lascaris, the director of the new Greek academy in Rome, and the plump, clean-shaven man is Pope Leo X.

As Leo was interested in the reform of preaching, and considered Paul the 'Prince of Preachers,' Raphael's depiction of him listening closely to Paul showed that he was following in Paul's footsteps. Leo had also recently set up a Greek academy in Rome.

Pope Leo X (1475-1521) was born Giovanni de' Medici, the son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, ruler of Florence and a major patron of the arts and sciences. He was educated by some of the leading scholars of the day, such as the poet Angelo Poliziano and the Neoplatonist Marsilio Ficino.

For centuries Raphael has been considered the supreme High Renaissance painter, more versatile than Michelangelo and more prolific than their older contemporary Leonardo.

Prints were the maiolica painters' main source of Raphael images. One such print is below.

Marcantonio Raimondi, 1480-1534
Paul Preaching by Athens, print of Raphael's cartoon.
Museum no. E.4662-1910
Victoria and Albert Museum, London

To copy a work by Raphael was for many to copy an act of perfection. Here is a nineteenth century copy. This time the medium is clear glass painted in enamels. This is one of two copies made by William Collins of Collins Glassworks, 227 Strand, London

William Collins
Saint Paul Preaching at Athens 1816
Clear glass painted in enamels
Height 51.5 cm (unframed)
Width 58.8 cm (unframed)
Weight 3.60 kg (unframed)
The Victoria and Albert Museum, London

The Miraculous Draught of Fishes

Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520)
The Miraculous Draught of Fishes, 1515-16
Bodycolour on paper mounted onto canvas (tapestry cartoon),
302 x 309cm
V&A /The Royal Collection, London

Christ is in the midst of choosing Peter and Andrew, two fishermen, as his first apostles.

The two men have been fishing unsuccessfully in the Sea of Galilee when Christ appears to them and tells them to let down their nets into deep water.

In the boat next to Peter and Andrew, two other fishermen struggle to pull up a net with a huge catch.

Peter (in blue) and Andrew (in green), their boat overflowing with fish, kneel reverently before Christ, recognising him as a holy man and promising to follow him.

The incident is related in Luke 5:1-11

When Leo X was elected pope in 1513, he decided to continue the decoration in the Sistine Chapel.Leo decided to cover the lower walls with a tapestry cycle.

Leo X commissioned a set of tapestry designs, or cartoons, from Raphael in 1515.

The ten cartoons depicted episodes from the lives of Saints Peter and Paul. The scenes, served to emphasise the pre-eminence of the Roman Catholic Church and the legitimacy of papal succession

Raphael and his workshop completed the cartoons in December 1516. They were then sent to Belgium so that the tapestries could be woven.

In 1623, seven of the ten cartoons were purchased by Charles I for £300, and have since remained in Britain.

The cartoons are now regarded as independent works of art in their own right and of the greatest artistic importance.

Another Step in the Fight against Slavery

Hadijatou Mani

Slavery may have been abolished in many states as a matter of law. However in many states slavery is in practice still tolerated.

However a landmark case has just been decided in Nigeria: The Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas)

The Court has ordered the state of Niger to compensate a former slave for failing to protect her from slavery.

In Free at last: female slave who dared to take Niger to court , The Times reports on the case brought by Hadijatou Mani who was sold into slavery at the age of 12. She was beaten, raped and even imprisoned for bigamy after she married a man other than her “master"

"Astonishingly her story is not that rare in Niger, but now it has a happy ending. In an historic ruling that will resonate across West Africa, where slavery is still rife, Ms Mani won a landmark case yesterday against the Niger Government for failing to protect her. ...

The Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) ordered Niger to pay Ms Mani 10 million CFA francs (£12,400) in compensation. The judgment was embarrassing for a government that said it had done all it could to eradicate slavery, but it offered hope for thousands of other men and women in the Sahel region.

The ruling sent a strong message to other governments that more needed to be done to set slaves free. Niger's neighbours, Mali and Mauritania, are also known to turn a blind eye to the practice. Chad and Sudan, which are not members of Ecowas, also use slaves. ...

A government lawyer said that Niger would respect the ruling.

However, analysts said that the country - one of the poorest on the continent - had showed little determination to enforce anti-slavery legislation adopted only five years ago. ...

Ms Mani was sold to a man called Souleymane Naroua when she was 12 for about £300. For the next ten years she was forced to carry out domestic and agricultural work. She was raped at the age of 13 and forced to bear the children of her “master”.

“I was beaten so many times I would run to my family ... then after a day or two, I would be brought back,” Ms Mani told local reporters in Hausa, the language of the Sahel region on the southern fringe of the Sahara. “At the time I didn't know what to do but since I learnt that slavery has been abolished I told myself I will no longer be a slave.”

In 2005 Ms Mani's “master” freed her and gave her a “liberation certificate”, but when she left him and tried to marry another man he claimed that they were already married. A local court found in her favour and she went ahead with the wedding.

The verdict was overturned on appeal, however, and she was sentenced to six months in prison for bigamy. ... Even though slavery has been a crime for five years, human rights groups in Niger estimate that at least 40,000 people are still being kept as slaves.

For generations the children of a slave automatically became the property of their parents' “master”. Ms Mani said that one of the reasons she turned to the international court was to secure the freedom of her two children and ensure that they did not have to suffer the same fate.

“I hope that everybody in slavery today can find their freedom,” she added. ...

Although the judgment will ease the suffering of tens of thousands of people in West Africa it has no bearing on the fate of many more in Sudan, where Arabs in the north of the country have kept African southerners as slaves for centuries.

Mauritania's Moors have also kept Africans in servitude, sowing the seeds for sporadic and violent rebellions. Despite international criticism both countries have consistently refused to take strong measures to eradicate slavery. "

Portrait of Pope Benedict XVI at Prayer with the Holy Theologians

(Alfredo) Fred Villanueva b. 1973
Portrait of Pope Benedict XVI at Prayer with the Holy Theologians 2002-2008
Oil and Acrylic on Canvas,
Dimensions: 8 ft. x 14 ft
The National Museum of Catholic Art and History, New York

Left to right above are:
St. Jose-Maria Ecriva, St. Augustine (after Botticelli), St. Brigid of Sweden, Sistine Madonna (after Raphael), Pope Benedict XVI, Albertus Magnus, St. Gregory, St. Irenaeus,

and then below left to right are:
St. Catherine of Siena (after Beccafumi), St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila (after Rubens), St. Thomas Aquinas (after Crivelli), St.Bonaventure (after Murillo), and center, Cat (after Leonardo da Vinci).


For more about the artist and his works see: : http://www.nmcah.org/ or http://www.fredvillanueva.com/

A Catholic Canvas

EWTN has produced a ten part art series entitled Catholic Canvas. It is described as a "journey through salvation history as seen through the art of the Vatican Museums."

Entire episodes are dedicated to Mary, to the Epiphany, to Christ's earthly ministry, his Passion, death and resurrection, St. Peter, and the saints as well as the Last Judgment.

Four full days were spent filming in the Sistine Chapel.

The first episode of the show will air on EWTN at 6:30 p.m. EST on Thursday, Nov. 6 and at 11 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Nov. 11.

Jerusalem in the 1860s

In 1860, John Cramb the photographer by Royal Appointment to Queen Victoria went to the Holy Land to take photographs of Jerusalem.

They were intended as records of "these authentic places of scriptural history for the country rectories and theological seminaries of Victorian Britain."

They were published in the Book below.

Jerusalem is now of course a metropolis like many other cities in the 21st century world.

The photographs below from another age perhaps give us a glimpse of Jerusalem in another time.

Via Dolorosa

Jerusalem from the north west

In 1866, Francis Bedford accompanied the Prince of Wales during a tour in the Middle East which included Jerusalem. Here are two of the photographs which were eventually published in England as The Holy Land, Egypt, Constantinople, Athens, etc. etc. A series of forty-eight photographs, taken by Francis Bedford, for H.R.H. the Prince of Wales during the tour in the East, in which ... he accompanied his Royal Highness. With descriptive text and introduction by W. M. Thompson.

Jerusalem. - The Mosk of the Dome of the Rock, from the Governor's House

Jerusalem. - The Mosk El-Aksa

All from The British Library website

Scripture and Culture

Part of Psalm 53
From the Ingeborg Psalter (13th century)
MS. 66 f56
Musée Condé, Chantilly

Another extract of the concluding message of the 12th Ordinary General Assemby of the Synod of Bishops which was approved on 24th October 2008 at the 21st General Congregation included a passage on Scripture and culture:

"15. In his Letter to the Artists (1999), John Paul II recalled that "Sacred Scripture has thus become a sort of ‛immense vocabulary' (Paul Claudel) and ‛iconographic atlas' (Marc Chagall), from which both Christian culture and art have drawn" (No. 5).

Goethe was convinced that the Gospel was the "mother tongue of Europe".

The Bible, as it is commonly said, is "the great code" of universal culture: artists ideally dipped their paintbrush in that alphabet coloured by stories, symbols, and figures which are the biblical pages. Musicians composed their harmonies around the sacred texts, especially the Psalms. For centuries authors went back to those old stories that became existential parables; poets asked themselves about the mystery of the spirit, infinity, evil, love, death and life, frequently collecting poetical quivers that enlivened the biblical pages.

Thinkers, men of learning and society itself frequently used the spiritual and ethical concepts (for example the Decalogue) of the word of God as a reference, even if merely in contrast. Even when the figure or the idea present in the Scriptures was deformed, it was recognized as being an essential and constitutive element of our civilization.

Because of this, the Bible - which teaches us also the via pulchritudinis, that is to say, the path of beauty to understand and reach God (as Ps 47:7 invites us: "learn the music, let it sound for God!") - is necessary not only for the believer, but for all to rediscover the authentic meanings of various cultural expressions and above all to find our historical, civil, human and spiritual identity once again.

This is the origin of our greatness and through it we can present ourselves with our noble heritage to other civilizations and cultures, without any inferiority complex. The Bible should, therefore, be known and studied by all, under this extraordinary profile of beauty and human and cultural fruitfulness. "

Relations with other Religions

Old houses in the Roman Ghetto overlooking the River Tiber, from a photograph taken in 1886

Part of the concluding message of the 12th Ordinary General Assemby of the Synod of Bishops which was approved on 24th October 2008 at the 21st General Congregation included a significant passage on relations with other religions:

"14. Along the roads of the world, the divine word generates for us Christians an equally intense encounter with the Jewish people, who are intimately bound through the common recognition and love for the Scripture of the Old Testament and because from Israel "so far as physical descent is concerned, came Christ" (Rm 9:5).

Every page of the Jewish Scriptures enlighten the mystery of God and of man. They are treasures of reflection and morality, an outline of the long itinerary of the history of salvation to its integral fulfillment, and illustrate with vigor the incarnation of the divine word in human events. They allow us to fully understand the figure of Christ, who declared "Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. Ihave come not to abolish but to fulfill them" (Mt 5:17).

These are a way of dialogue with the chosen people, "who were adopted as children, the glory was theirs and the covenants; to them were given the Law and the worship of God and the promises" (Rm 9:4), and they allow us to enrich our interpretation of the Sacred Scriptures with the fruitful resources of the Hebrew exegetical tradition.

"Blessed be my people Egypt, Assyria my creation, and Israel my heritage" (Is 19:25). The Lord, then, spreads the protective mantle of his blessing all over the peoples of the earth: "he wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth" (1 Tm 2:4).

We, also as Christians are invited, along the roads of the world - without falling into a syncretism that confuses and humiliates our own spiritual identity, to enter into dialogue with respect towards men and women of the other religions, who faithfully hear and practice the directives of their sacred books, starting with Islam, which welcomes many biblical figures, symbols and themes in its tradition, and which offers the witness of sincere faith in the One, compassionate and merciful God, the Creator of all beings and Judge of humanity."

The First Vision of St Teresa of Avila

Alonso Cano (1601-67).
The Vision of St Teresa c. 1629
Private Collection

4. On one of the feasts of St. Paul, when I was at Mass, there stood before me the most Sacred Humanity, as painters represent Him after the resurrection, in great beauty and majesty, as I particularly described it to you, my father, when you had insisted on it. It was painful enough to have to write about it, for I could not describe it without doing great violence to myself. But I described it as well as I could, and there is no reason why I should now recur to it. One thing, however, I have to say: if in heaven itself there were nothing else to delight our eyes but the great beauty of glorified bodies, that would be an excessive bliss, particularly the vision of the Humanity of Jesus Christ our Lord. If here below, where His Majesty shows Himself to us according to the measure which our wretchedness can bear, it is so great, what must it be there, where the fruition of it is complete!

5. This vision, though imaginary, I never saw with my bodily eyes, nor, indeed, any other, but only with the eyes of the soul. Those who understand these things better than I do, say that the intellectual vision is more perfect than this; and this, the imaginary vision, much more perfect than those visions which are seen by the bodily eyes. The latter kind of visions, they say, is the lowest; and it is by these that the devil can most delude us. I did not know it then; for I wished, when this grace had been granted me, that it had been so in such a way that I could see it with my bodily eyes, in order that my confessor might not say to me that I indulged in fancies.

6. After the vision was over, it happened that I too imagined--the thought came at once--I had fancied these things; so I was distressed, because I had spoken of them to my confessor, thinking that I might have been deceiving him. There was another lamentation: I went to my confessor, and told him of my doubts. He would ask me whether I told him the truth so far as I knew it; or, if not, had I intended to deceive him? I would reply, that I told the truth; for, to the best of my belief, I did not lie, nor did I mean anything of the kind; neither would I tell a lie for the whole world. This he knew well enough; and, accordingly, he contrived to quiet me; and I felt so much the going to him with these doubts, that I cannot tell how Satan could have put it into my head that I invented those things for the purpose of tormenting myself.

7. But our Lord made such haste to bestow this grace upon me, and to declare the reality of it, that all doubts of the vision being a fancy on my part were quickly taken away, and ever since I see most clearly how silly I was."

Chapter XXVIII The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus, of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel.Written by Herself., Translated from the Spanish by David Lewis. (1904)

The Holy Family with the infant St. John the Baptist

Michelangelo Buonarroti (b. 1475, Caprese, d. 1564, Rome)
The Holy Family with the infant St. John the Baptist (the Doni tondo)
c. 1506-1508
Tempera on panel, diameter 120 cm
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

Michelangelo Buonarroti (b. 1475, Caprese, d. 1564, Rome)
Study for the Head of the Madonna of the Doni Tondo(1504-1506)
Red pencil on paper 200 x 172mm
Casa Buonarroti, Florence

The Doni Tondo was probably commissioned by Agnolo Doni (a wealthy weaver) and his wife (Maddalena Strozzi) for the birth of their daughter Maria on 8th September 1507. Alternatively it has been put forward that it was meant to commemorate and celebrate the marriage of Agnolo Doni and Maddalena Strozzi in 1504.

The tondo was painted after January 1506 when the Laocoon was uncovered in Rome in the presence of Michelangelo.

The painting is dominated by the serpentine composition of Christ, Mary and Joseph in the foreground.

Mary, sitting on the ground, is taking Jesus from the arms of Joseph. The three are oblivious to the other figures. Mary`s eyes and her son`s eyes both stare at each other intently. Joseph seems to be gazing at Jesus, but on closer look his gaze is midway between Jesus and Mary.

Behind the wall which separates the Holy Family from the rest are three groups of figures.

The small boy (who looks like a satyr) apparently gazing at the Infant Jesus represents John the Baptist, patron saint of Florence.

The youths sitting or standing by a balustrade are classical figures. The nude figure behind St Joseph is based on one of the figures in the Laocoon.The other nudes derive from other classical sculptures known at the time.

Behind everything is a simple landscape disappearing into the distance.

The frame was probably designed by Michelangelo. The painting hangs in the Uffizi in its original frame. The Doni Tondo was separated from its original frame during the Enlightenment period, but it was later reunited after the realisation of its importance to the piece as a whole.

The Doni Tondo stood the test of time because of Michelangelo's construction of the frame. The frame was supported with a batten made of coniferous wood. It was constructed of pear wood because fruit woods are advised for optimal carving.

The gilt wood frame, attributed to the Tasso family of woodcarvers, displays the Doni family arms with lions on them intermingled with Strozzi (the family of the patron's wife Maddalena) crescents.

As well as grotesques, the frame contains the heads of two prophets and two sybils surmounted by one of Christ.

When finished, Agnolo Doni was not sure that he wished to pay for it. He thought it too expensive. Further, details of the composition itself aroused criticism: such as the satyr like John the Baptist, the young nude men, the muscular Mary, the presence of St Joseph.

Much ink has been spilt over the centuries about the proper interpretation or interpretations of this work. Sometimes the commentary and argument overwhelm a proper appreciation of the painting. One can be diverted by all the theorising without properly looking at the painting and appeciating it.



The central figure of the painting is Mary. She is the subject of the piece.

Energetic and young. Contemplative and contented.

She is not like other Marys previously painted. She is athletic and bare-armed. She is not on a cloud or ethereal. She is quite firmly seated in the dirt.

She is what the Pagan Classical writers and the Old Testament looked forward to. The agent by which the Saviour became flesh.

Her Love for her child, the Saviour is emphasised. As is His love for her. The mutual looks between them lead to no other conclusion.

The Holy Family represents the new begining for mankind. A line has been drawn in human history. Nothing will ever be the same again. All that has gone before is simply that. History.

This, of course, does not eplain this very complex painting and in particular the presence and significance of the ignudi.

One complete and convincing interpretation is set out by Monsignor Timothy Verdon, in his book Mary in Western Art. (Hudson Hills, 2005) at pages 221ff.

Monsignor Verdon amongst other things is a Canon at the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. His interpretation is based on amongst other things the work of Marsilio Ficino, the major Humanist and contemporary of Michelangelo, who, incidentally was also a priest and a Canon of the Cathedral in Florence.

"Let Us Approach the Table of the Word of God"

Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi

Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi (born 18 October 1942 in Merate, Italy) is the current President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, President of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church and President of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archeology.

The former Prefect of the Ambrosian Library in Milan drafted the the final message of the synod of bishops which suggests reading the Bible like a love letter, such that each reader approaches it with the certainty, "It was written for me."

The text immediately brought agreement on two points: It was one of the most beautiful ever prepared by a synod and it was very long.

The message was welcomed with a round of applause, which ratified the assembly approval.

For
A Summary of message:

The Full Final message

Nostra Aetate

Augustin Cardinal Bea SJ

October is a month of many anniversaries and commemorations in the Catholic Church.

One of the most important is the commemoration of the document Nostra Aetate promulgated on 28th October 1965.

The main force behind the Declaration was Augustin Cardinal Bea, SJ (May 28, 1881 -November 16, 1968) who amongst other things was the confessor to Pope Pius XII.

On October 14 and 15, 1965, the Fathers of the Roman Catholic Church, assembled in Rome at the fourth and final session of the Second Vatican Council, approved by an overwhelming majority (1,763 to 250) a declaration on "The Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions," with its long-awaited statement on the people of the Jewish faith.

On October 28, the document (after a final public vote of 2221 - 91) was promulgated by Pope Paul VI.

The document was entitled Nostra Aetate

On the anniversary of the Declaration, Cardinal Walter Kasper gave a talk on the importance of the document: the website version is here

He explained why the document is still of importance and why its teaching must still be taught:

"Let me begin not with a personal confession: When I was asked to say some words about the anniversary of the Conciliar Declaration Nostra aetate my first instinct was anger. I asked: What can anyone say that is new, what has not yet been already said over and over, and that everybody already knows?

But then I had to repent. Everybody knows? Forty years ago the Second Vatican Council began. In Word and Church history this is only a short time, but today half an eternity. Not only due to the fact that a long memory in our hasty world is not very well developed, but also that all people under 40 years were not even born when Pope John XXIII opened the Council, and all under 50 years cannot have any personal memory on these stirring years full of debates, full of hopes and disillusions as well, but full also of breakthroughs – not the least on Jewish-Christian relations.

In the meantime a new generation has grown up, for which all this, which for us – sorry for this – for us older people was a joyful experience is past and often enough forgotten.

So we face a new situation where the teaching of Nostra aetate has to be transmitted and explained.

Moreover there are alarming signs of new anti-Semitism we had thought had been overcome. Not the least the tragic conflict in the Middle East does not make things any easier, and new efforts are needed in order for us not to lose sight of each other but to remain together. "

The declaration clearly states that what happened in the Passion of Jesus cannot be attributed to all the Jews of his time, nor to the Jews of today. It stresses that Jews "should not be presented as rejected by God or accursed, as if this follows from Holy Scriptures," and that no one is to teach or preach "anything that is inconsistent with the truth of the Gospel." Indeed, the Church "deplores hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism directed at Jews at any time and by anyone."

The long history of this Declaration is set out in a .pdf document here and also in a Wikipedia article here and in an article here

Perhaps the recent discussions on the beatification of Pope Pius XII have to be seen against the history of Nostra Aetate and the steps towards "dialogue" after the Declaration mentioned in the reflections of Cardinal Kasper.

Florence: a Marian City

Filippino Lippi (Prato c. 1457 - Florence 1504 )
Apparition of the Virgin to St. Bernard (Apparizione della Madonna a san Bernardo) c. 1486
Tempera on wood 210 x 195 cm
The Badia, Florence

Florence has been a Marian city for centuries. Its devotion to Mary can be seen by the great number of Marian images in the streets, the churches, chapels, art galleries and museums. Its medieval Cathedral is called Santa Maria del Fiore.

One of the oldest buildings in Florence is the Badia (the Abbey).

The Badìa Fiorentina is an abbey and church of the Fraternity of Jerusalem situated on the Via del Proconsolo in the centre of Florence. Amongst other things, it is famous for being the parish church of Beatrice Portinari, the love of Dante's life, and the place where he watched her at Mass.

Later, Boccaccio delivered his famous lectures on Dante's The Divine Comedy in the church.

The abbey was founded as a Benedictine institution in 978 by Willa, Margravine of Tuscany, in commemoration of her late husband Uberto, and was one of the chief buildings of medieval Florence

Now, despite a baroque transformation in the seventeeth century, the most striking feature of this historic interior is the above painting by Filippino Lippi

The panel was originally painted for the small monastery controlled by the Abbey, Santa Maria alle Campora di Marignolle. Florence was besieged in 1529 and the painting was transferred to the Badia for safekeeping.

The painting depicts a story narrated in the Golden Legend.

St. Bernard (c.1090-1153) with a group of monks founded the monastery of Clairvaux, which he directed until his death

St Bernard was once afflicted by a moment of weakness. The Virgin appeared to him in a vision ad his courage was restored.

The open book in the painting shows that the saint had been writing on the Annunciation. The relevant text from St Luke`s Gospel ( Luke 1: 26-31) is clearly legible. It is a message of hope.

However this is a "reverse" Annunciation: Mary became Gabriel and appears to the saint. She announces salvation.

It is not a triumphant Mary. It is the Mother of God who emphathises with the saint`s internal struggle and his fatigue.She is human like. Her feet are firmly planted on the ground. She is surrounded by a small retinue of angels. She places her hand on the book.

The monk-theologian with his great devotion to Mary looks at her with love, after the initial joyful surprise. He becomes transformed. His resolve is restored.

His fellow monks are oblivious to what is happening to the saint. However they seem to sense that something strange and miraculous is occurring somewhere. They see a light in the sky.

The viewer sees everything. We are privy to the vision and experience of St Bernard which dominates the painting.

The manuscript on which Saint Bernard is writing has the words “Let me say something concerning this name [Mary] also, which is interpreted to mean “star of the Sea” and admirably suits the Virgin Mother…” taken from the saint`s second homily, Super missus est.

Super missus est is a collection of four homilies written by Saint Bernard about the Annunciation. This text had a profound effect on Marian devotion. Bernard concluded this homily with the words, “When the storms of temptation burst upon you, when you see yourself driven upon the rocks of tribulation, look up at the star, call upon Mary…”

The moral message of the painting is reinforced by an inscription near the portrait of the donor [Piero del Pugliese, a successful Florentine wool merchant] in the lower right of the painting.

Viewers are encouraged to always seek the help of Mary in times when afflicted by doubt.

Some critics have seen this painting by Filippino Lippi as the beginning of a new trend of realism and psychological realism which came into Florenting painting at the end of the 15th Century.

The vision of Saint Bernard is a theme almost unique to Florence and rarely seen outside Tuscany during the Renaissance. It was particularly popular in Florence in the period 1490-1530.

St Bernard was patron of the Cappella dei Priori (Chapel of Priors) of the Florentine republican government located in the newly constructed Palazzo Vecchio.

His selection as the patron saint was probably largely due to his reputation as a peacemaker and arbitrator.

Later during the time of Savonarola from 1494 onwards, Savonarola used amongst others St Bernard as a model for reform.

A Familiar Face

Léon-Augustin Lhermitte, 1844–1925
Friend of the Humble (Supper at Emmaus)
1892
Oil on canvas
155.5 x 222.9 cm (61 1/4 x 87 3/4 in.)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Does the Face of Christ in the painting above look familiar ?

Try again with this detail of the painting:

L`hermitte is perhaps not as well known as he was in his time or should be now. He was an accomplished artist. He painted religious themes as well as pastoral scenes with scenes of French peasantry, recalling a time before the industrialisation of society.

Of him, Vincent Van Gogh said:

“If every month Le Monde Illustré published one of his compositions…it would be a great pleasure for me to be able to follow it. It is certain that for years I have not seen anything as beautiful as this scene by Lhermitte…I am too preoccupied by Lhermitte this evening to be able to talk of other things.” (quoted in Léon Lhermitte 1844-1925, ex. cat., Beverley Hills: New York: Galerie Michael)

The painting of Christ was the inspiration for the following well-known painting of The Head of Christ:

Warner Sallman (1892–1968)

Head of Christ 1940

Oil on canvas

The Wilson Galleries, Anderson University, Anderson IN

Sallman said that he was taken by a print of the painting on the cover of the Ladies Home Journal.
Rather than concentrating on the historical detail of the French work, Sallman opted for a close up with soft lighting: almost like one of the 1930/40 photographs of movie stars or other celebrities of the period.

Warner Sallman (1892–1968) was a Christian painter from Chicago. He worked as a freelance illustrator. His portrait of Christ, The Head of Christ, of which more than 500 million copies have been sold, is better known than he is

When Christ or his mother are mentioned many people admit that it is not the words of the Bible that come to mind but rather concrete images or pictures.

Because of the great circulation of the painting by Sallman in the 1940s and 1950s and onwards, for many people the name of Christ may conjure up the above image. And all because someone saw a print of a French painting on the cover of the Ladies Home Journal.

For more about this story and the famous print see The Warner Sallman website

Hide and Seek

Anonymous
Richard II presented to the Virgin and Child by his Patron Saint John the Baptist and Saints Edward the Confessor and Edmund ('The Wilton Diptych') about 1395-9: Front and reverse
Egg tempera on oak
57 x 29.2 cm
The National Gallery, London

Often when we look at paintings, we do not take in the whole meaning intended by the artist.

The "key" to the symbols has often been forgotten.

In an article in today`s Times, Justin Scroggie provides some of the "keys" to five paintings in The National Gallery in London.

The pictures are:

Allegory with Venus and Cupid (c 1540), by Bronzino
Supper at Emmaus (1601), by Caravaggio
The Wilton Diptych (1395-99), anonymous
The Arnolfini Portrait (1434), by Jan van Eyck
Marriage à la Mode II (c 1743), by William Hogarth

For an explanation of some of the symbols in Holbein`s "The Ambassadors" (also in The National Gallery in London), see At 27º to the universe by Theodore K Rabb

Byzantium 330-1453

Unknown artist,
Mosaic icon of Saint Stephen, c.1108-1113.
Mosaic, 218 x 118 x 7 cm,
National Architectural Conservation Area, St Sophia of Kiev

From 25th October 2008 until 22nd March 2009, The Royal Academy in London is hosting an exhibition entitled "Byzantium 330 - 1453"

Covering the period from 330, when Constantine inaugurated his “new Rome” with sumptuous festivities and chariot races, to 1453, when the glittering capital of Christendom finally fell to the Ottoman Turks, it takes nothing less than the entire 1,100-year history of the Byzantine civilisation as its time span.

At its zenith Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), ruled over a large area including a long belt of North Africa, Egypt, the Holy Land, Italy and Greece, large parts of the Balkans and the southern regions of Spain.

One of the main features of the exhibition will be the glimmering icons including a number from the monastery of St Catherine in Mount Sinai to Britain. In particular the Icon of the Heavenly Ladder of St John, will no doubt be a main attraction. The talk on this icon by Father Justin, the Librarian of the Monastery of St Catherine in Mount Sinai is already sold out.

Saint Matthew and the Angel

Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo (Italian, Brescian, active by 1508, died soon after 1548)
Saint Matthew and the Angel, 1534
Oil on canvas; 36 3/4 x 49 in. (93.4 x 124.5 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The website at The Metropolitan describes and comments on this painting thus:

"The painting shows Saint Matthew—inspired by an angel, the traditional symbol of the Evangelist—writing his gospel. In the background are two scenes from the saint's life. On the right, he receives hospitality from the eunuch of the queen of Ethiopia, a country in which he preached and exposed the falseness of two magicians. On the left, four small figures, one lower down on the ground, are silhouetted against a towering moonlit edifice; this enigmatic scene may represent Matthew's martyrdom, which, according to some accounts, occurred in Ethiopia.

The simple, rough lamp at the edge of the table throws the figure of Matthew into areas of intense light and dark, strongly illuminating the torso but leaving much of the head in shadow. Each of the background scenes has its own source of light—firelight and the moon—and the expressive drama of the painting is linked with this investigation of light and dark.

It is almost certain that this painting originally hung in the palazzo of Milan's zecca, or mint. Documents show that Savoldo worked for the Milanese duke Francesco II Sforza in 1534, the date given by most scholars to this work. Its subject, Matthew the Evangelist, who had originally been a tax collector, would also be appropriate, given the function of the mint."

For more see The Metropolitan website

Not really much more to be said about this beautiful painting ?

The realism of this painting is heightened by important touches: flames and sparks from the fireplace throw the three figures into relief; four small figures wander along a moonlit street; the figure of the main figure of St Matthew: hands, clothes, neck, beard, glance/look at the angel.

Savldo is first heard of or recorded in Florence. He then spent much of his artistic career in Venice. But he is considered to be part of the Brescia school due to his realism and his acute psychological portrayal.

Savoldo was interested in Flemish painting. His wife was Flemish. He was familiar with the works of Hieronymous Bosch. This may have been because he had travelled to his wife`s homeland. Or, alternatively, because there were a large number of Flemish works at that time in Venice.

Savoldo was an exponent of not adhering to a written text. He simply concentrated on a few significant elements chosen so that the story can be grasped emphatically and at a glance. This is consonant with the new narrative type emerging in Venice at that time.

Of course one has to know the story before one can grasp the meaning of the painting.

He brought the sacred down to earth: his visualisation of sacred events and persons was a characteristic of the Northern Gothic.

Note the emphasis on scripture: but contrary to the incipient Protestant advocates at the time, it is an angel which is dictating the Word to the Apostle.

His direct realism with the new vivid light effects and night scenes prefigure Caravaggio. Some have argued that his style also influenced Rembrandt`s main teacher, Pieter Lastman (1583-1633)

Yours faithfully, Michelangelo Buonarroti

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 – 1564)
Letter to the Competent Directors of St. Peter’s Fabric
16th century (about 1547)
Vatican Library

One of the most interesting parts of the Vatican Library website is the section on Manuscripts. There is a digital collection of some of the many priceless manuscripts within its walls.

In 1547, Michelangelo (March 6, 1475 – February 18, 1564), was appointed Architect of St Peter`s Basilica which was in the course of construction. He was 71 years of age when he was appointed by Pope Paul III.

Before then, he had been kept at a distance from the project by Bramante, Raphael, Antonio da Sangallo and then Giulio Romano (Raphael d. 1520, Peruzzi . 1536).

In the year of his appointment, he wrote to the Directors of the Fabric of St Peters to resist the widely diffused practice of corruption and not to accept any use of inferior materials for the construction and decoration of the basilica. The letter is above.

He had varying degress of success in his anti-corruption drive. The interests against him were too deeply rooted. The suppliers’ attempts at corruption continued and Michelangelo was obliged to continuously solicit the control of pontifical authorities.

But even a genius like Michelangelo could not defeat graft.

The cathedral was constructed according to Donato Bramante’s plan, but Michelangelo became ultimately responsible for its dome and the exterior of the altar end of the building.

Another historic occasion at the Synod of Bishops

Yesterday there was a historic occasion. A historic gesture of unity.

For the first time a Patriarch of Constantinople addresses a Synod of Bishops in the Sistine Chapel. The Bishops, the Pope and the Patriarch prayed vespers together in the Sistine Chapel.

Pope Benedict XVI spoke of his joy at the presence of the Patriarch Bartholomew. He said that The Word is the light and guide to "our steps"

In his address the Patriarch indicated the common interest which must unite Christians for the benefit of humanity and for a true religious tolerance.