Allegory

Allegory with a Virgin (Allegory of Chastity), 1479-1480
Hans Memling, (b. ca. 1440, Seligenstadt, d. 1494, Bruges)
Height: 38 cm (14.96 in.), Width: 32 cm (12.6 in.)
oil on board

Wonderfully weird image. I can't seem to find out too much about it thought. The virgin/chastity aspect is pretty straightforward due to the elevation of our dear virgin upon the craggy rock (amythest) I will, as I have surely often done, admit my lack of knowledge when it comes to iconography in art. I do think I need to procure myself a good book and spend some time making up for this lack.

A wee bit about the painting: http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/m/memling/2middle3/15allego.html

Lady with an Ermine

Lady with an Ermine, c.1489-1494
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-
oil on wood
Czartoyski Museum, Krakoq, Poland

The Mona Lisa is uber well-known, but Lady with an Ermine may not be as familiar to everyone. Portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, 15 year old mistress of Ludovico Sforza, patron of da Vinci. Galle = ermine, the ermine is also the heraldic animal of Ludovico il Moro.

Such a wonderful portrait.

St. Francis

St. Francis in the desert, 1480
Giovanni Bellini
oil and tempera on poplar panel
49 in. x 55 7/8 in.
image: Frick Collection
title and date from Frick

One of my favorite paintings at the Frick Collection in New York, this is one of those paintings that when you come across it you spend a lot of time with it (and very likely wander back to that room after you've seen everything else).

While I am done with nature in art week, it spills a bit over into this work. There is a specific attention paid to the details of nature, as the saint stands in communion with nature. The story tells us that Francis moved to a cave in the barren wilderness, but here we see a different interpretation as this landscape is alive with livestock and fields. If you follow the link to the image, you can zoom into the details of the painting (a wonder to see in person but until you make it to the Frick...).

An interesting note too, I came across this painting for today in an art history text book, with the caption reminding me that it was in the Frick Collection. While these details can change (selling and buying of work) titles and dates do as well. The title of this work in the book is, Saint Francis in Ecstasy, while the Frick has in the Desert. The date in the book is 1470s and in the Frick's label, 1480. I go with the owning institution's details as they should be the ones who have done work on provenance and more about the work. Just a little info on the work of art and research.

A Marriage?

Arnolofini Portrait, 1434
Jan van Eyck
oil on panel, 82x59.5 cm.
National Gallery, London
courtesy of wikipedia


In honor of my friend's wedding tomorrow, a "wedding portrait" of the day. Thought to be a portrait of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, possibly in their room, the identity of the women is not sure. Full of illusion, and exquisite detail, this painting has sparked discussion and thought for hundreds of years.

There is debate over whether this is a portrait of a betrothal, a partial memorial (if the wife died previous to the painting), or an actual legal document recording a marriage. Check out this discussion of the painting on the BBC/Open University.

I need to go get things ready to head on out to Maine for the wedding tomorrow, so I must cut this a bit short. Have a wonderful holiday weekend, and art should return on Monday (possibly Tuesday!)