Sunday, February 2, 2014

ART AND CONVERSATION



This weekend I was invited to a fabulous lunch with a group of guides from the Gallery -
Good food, good champagne, a great venue at M's beautiful house, and the best conversation..

Virgin and Child with Saints c. 1510-20 - Triptych - Cologne School, Germany

This was not on the agenda .. but it could have been!


Currently on display at the Qld Art Gallery, on loan from the National Gallery of Australia, is
a 500-year-old Triptych, from Cologne, Germany: Virgin and Child with Saints.

In the 15th century, the artists of the flourishing city of Cologne were famous for their magnificent colours, decoration and narrative skills particularly in their elaborate oak panel altarpieces.

The painting depicts the Virgin and Child in a garden, surrounded by angel musicians and six female martyr saints of the early Christian era, each holding their 'attributes'.

In the middle ages such works were didactic, to teach the large proportion of the population who were illiterate about the Christian religion.
Symbolism was important in conveying the stories of the saints.
To the right of the Virgin is Saint Agatha of Sicily, who according to legend was martyred in 251AD after being imprisoned and tortured, including the cutting off of her breasts.  Hence she is carrying a breast!

Beside her is Saint Katherine of Alexandria, being given a ring by the infant Jesus.  She is said to have made a mystical marriage with Christ.
Left is Saint Dorothy of Caesarea, patron saint of horticulture and gardeners.
Her attributes are fruit and flowers.

On the Virgin's left are Saint Barbara, who holds a little tower (her father imprisoned her).  She is the patron saint of miners.
Next is Saint Cecilia, patron saint of music.  She is said to have sung to God as she lay dying.  Here she is playing a little portable organ.
On the far right is Saint Agnes, martyred at 13, patron of young girls.  Her attribute of a lamb is used because her name resembles the latin word for lamb: agnus.


Here is the left shutter showing Saint Henry, with crown and sceptre, an eagle and a church, and Saint Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine who is said to have found the true cross of Christ.
Kneeling is the donor figure who donated funds to commission the Triptych.
In return for this, he becomes part of the holy scene.


On the right shutter we see Saint Peter, the Apostle and first Pope, with a large key (keys of the kingdom of heaven), and Saint Margaret of Antioch, with an attribute of a dragon representing her apocryphal fight with the devil.

There are lots of smaller symbolic details, and in the background of the central panel and the right shutter is a view of Cologne, with elements of the cityscape identifiable as real landmarks. 

The Triptych is in an amazingly good state of preservation and an excellent example of the high state of refinement in late medieval painting.


M has an amazing collection of gigantic ferns.
I asked her secret, which was divulged as 'water'...

She is obviously a more conscientious waterer than moi - our ferns have been rather dying off in the heat lately.

Bring on Autumn, I say.


We popped into the Woolloongabba Antique Centre for avocado on toast ..

and to buy some white Chalk Paint for a furniture restoration project I am planning ...


I really can't imagine what made me buy a pink heart-shaped trinket box, for a mere $7, can you?

Have an excellent week, and may the saints watch over you...

XXXX




24 comments:

  1. Very interesting to read about the paintings, it is amazing how much art has changed over the centuries isn't it! Love the little heart box, and indeed, how could you have passed that by! Hope that your ferns perk up now you know the secret!! xx

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    1. Yes, art has certainly changed over 500 years. It is amazing to see how brilliant this piece still looks, and to see it in our city of Brisbane which is less than 200 years old, so out of context! The heart box says thank you! xx

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  2. Love this post on symbolism - I find it a very interesting fact that medieval man knew how to read the paintings through their symbols and yet it is a lost art on so many of us today.
    You mentioned St. Helena and I wrote a post on The Legend of the True Cross which you might be interested to read here:-
    http://wherefivevalleysmeet.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/signs-symbols-and-meanings-in-art-no3.html
    The trinket box - well for a start it is pink isn't it? has a heart, and a rose too!!!

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    1. I am glad you enjoyed this post Rosemary. It is interesting that the symbolism is lost on many people today, and I do find this when guiding visitors to the Gallery. I went to your St Helena post and loved it - a lot more information than I have ever known on the subject, especially the bit about Santa Croce in Florence: we will be there this year!! I am working Padua into our trip, too (of course!) Almost embarrassed myself by the speediness of my hand grabbing that pink, heart, rose, china box - :)

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  3. Firstly, let me say I completely understand why you bought that trinket box. I would too - not because it is pink, is heart-shaped and has a rose on the top, but it looks so lovely to touch. I want want to hold it and feel it! Anyway, enough of that sensory stuff, the paintings are magnificent! I also find it special that symbolism was something that people were expected to understand in those times. Very meaningful, beautiful and rich. Good luck with your ferns! Must be difficult in a country where water is often at a premium in the summer!

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    1. Val, you are spot on - the pink box is a silky delight to hold! Glad you enjoyed the medieval painting - it is a rare treat for us. Lucky you, living in The Netherlands, a centre for wonderful art of that time. It has certainly been a dry summer this year, although the dreaded Drought word has not yet appeared! Woke up to a small shower of rain today - nice :)

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  4. Enjoyed the photo's and the descriptions of them. Especially enjoyed the bit about the kneeling figure who commissioned the work. Imagine that we are looking at him all these years later.

    The trinket box just had to be yours!

    Darla

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    1. Wouldn't the donor be amazed to think his picture was being seen all around the globe, 500 years later?
      I almost pushed another woman out of the way in my haste to grab that little pink rose treasure...

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  5. What a fascinating post. I love religious art. Thank you for explaining each piece.

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    1. Thank you Jennifer - I enjoyed the Spanish religious art in the churches of New Mexico when we visited your area a few years ago. Fascinating, and very different from what we are familiar with.

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  6. Liked the idea of avocado on toast. Is that beansprouts on it?
    I always find it frustrating to know that I probably don't understand a lot of the symbolism in old art. But this was a nice post.

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    1. Yes, beansprouts on avocado with lemon and pepper - Delish! I get a bit frustrated myself on the symbolism, Jenny, finding it impossible to memorise all of it. It is handy to know the more common symbols which appear over and over. Thank goodness it is so easy to look it up these days :)

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  7. Hi Patricia. That's certainly a lovely painting and so interesting, the symbolism. Thank you for interpreting it! Those ferns are so pretty. Sounds like such an interesting day. Your trinket box was quite a find! How was the avocado on toast? Looks yummy.

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    1. The avocado on sour dough toast was absolutely a yummy lunch Sanda. M's ferns were magnificent and I am inspired to tend mine with better care. The rose box was just sitting there waiting for me, wasn't it?

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  8. Who could resist a cute trinket box for only $7? The table setting for your guide's group lunch is wonderful.
    The stories behind the Saints used to fascinate us as children - who we were named for and what made them a Saint. I wonder if certain names became popular because they came from a saint with a more sympathetic story.
    Your Avocado on Toast looks very nice - just the other day my husband was commenting on how nice it was to get Alfalfa Sprouts on his sandwich when he was in Australia. We almost never see them here anymore and they are so tasty.

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    1. Saints names fascinated us too, Beryl. Because I was taught by Irish nuns I received accolades for being named after St Patrick - not that I had anything to do with it. I remember feeling sorry for children whose names did not relate to any known saint. Now you mention it, we don't see alfalfa sprouts so often these days either - the cafe was retro themed, so perhaps that is why they use it. I enjoyed the lunch!

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  9. That Triptych is wonderful, I love reading about the symbolism in artwork. I'm laughing at the thought of you beating off the competition to get your paws on that pretty little trinket box. Ruthless! Ha!

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    1. Hi Sulky, hope you are well. Yes, Ruthless when someone stands between me and a fine object at rock-bottom prices, Sulky, he he x

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  10. Nice art. My grade school was named after St. Cecilia - so now I know her back story. I'd love a bite of your lunch and think the pink trinket box is cute!

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    1. Debra, please tell us the back story of St Cecilia!
      Pink box is having quite the Renaissance in her life since coming to live at our place :) World fame is going to her pretty little rose head...

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  11. Sounds like you had a fabulous time.

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    1. Indeed we did - can't wait for our next event!

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  12. Being passionate about mediaeval art, I really enjoyed this, Patricia, especially as this isn't a work I know. I can spend hours looking at the detail in such paintings. Your gallery guides lunch sounded so enjoyable. :-)

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    1. The triptych is a great example of the genre, and I'm sure you'd love it up close Perpetua. It was difficult to get clear photos because it is kept in low light, and of course no flash permitted. There are interesting small details spread over every inch of it. Gallery guides are great fun!

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