My prior Art posts can be found HERE.
How do we move away from being a civilization that produces art that causes comments like, “my five year old could make this,” back to being one that creates beauty and inspires deep questions? We must reject modernity and embrace tradition. To embrace tradition, we must first learn about it.
Let’s study art history together.
Presentation at the Temple
| Artist | Fra Angelico |
|---|---|
| Year | c. 1450-1452 |
| Medium | Fresco |
| Dimensions | 171 x 116 cm |
| Location | Convento di San Marco, Florence |
Have you ever wondered what a fresco is but were too embarrassed to ask? I’m here to help:
Fresco is a mural painting technique that involves applying water-based pigments onto freshly laid wet plaster. As the plaster dries, the paint becomes an integral part of the wall, resulting in vibrant and durable artwork. This durable form of painting was once quite popular and preserves a lot of wonderful artistic scenes – including this one above.
The painting above is most notable to me for a couple of reasons. It’s very bright from a color standpoint (which is a trademark of the artist.) I’m also a bit confused about the attendees at this scene.
Luke 2: 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Present in the text: Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and Simeon. So who is that guy with the gash on his head, in the foreground, kneeling on the left side of the painting? And who is the other woman? (Notably they both are painted with halos.) For an answer to these questions, let us consult wiki:
Presentazione di Gesù al Tempio is a fresco by Fra Angelico made for the then Dominican Convent of Saint Mark in Florence, Italy. It depicts the dedication of Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem as the first-born son of His family, as related in the Gospel of St. Luke, 2:23–24. Saint Joseph carries a basket containing two doves as Mary witnesses the Infant Jesus being held by Simeon. This event, the fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, a devotion particularly promoted by the Dominicans, is depicted as being anachronistically witnessed by the Dominican saints Peter of Verona (recognizable by the bloody gash on his head) and Blessed Villana de’ Botti.
This is one of a limited number of paintings whose composition and brightness suggest that the Dominican friar Fra Angelico was involved in their creation; however, some of the painting indicated that less skilled hands also assisted. The painting dates from 1450 to 1452 when Angelico was the Prior of San Domenico in Fiesole. Today the work can be seen at the National Museum of San Marco in Florence.
In addition to being – as the wiki article describes – one of the Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary Prayer, the Feast of Dedication described in the Gospel and in the painting is commemorated in the Christian world through the Feast Day celebration of Candlemas.
