Tag: italy

The Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew by Duccio di Buoninsegna

An image of the painting being described

This colorful panel painting depicts an episode early in Jesus’s career–the moment he called Peter and his brother Andrew to join his ministry. It was part of an enormous altarpiece for the cathedral of Siena.

We’ll find out what prompted the cathedral powers to hire Duccio, Siena’s top artist and how innovative he was in depicting stories of Mary and Jesus’s lives. And we meet a few friendly fish!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (7.3MB)

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SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

“A Long Look” theme is “Ascension” by Ron Gelinas youtu.be/jGEdNSNkZoo

Episode theme is “Canzona ‘La Foresta’ (For 2 Trumpets and 2 Trombones – Rondeau)” composed by Giovanni Cavaccio. Performed by Michel Rondeau. Courtesy of musopen.org

https://musopen.org/music/33104-canzona-la-foresta/

https://musopen.org/music/performer/michel-rondeau/

Artwork information
Miklós Boskovits (1935–2011), “Duccio di Buoninsegna/The Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew/1308-1311,” Italian Paintings of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries, NGA Online Editions, https://purl.org/nga/collection/artobject/282 (accessed May 17, 2020).

Maestà information
https://smarthistory.org/duccio-maesta/

https://operaduomo.siena.it/en/sites/museum/

Duccio information
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Duccio

Slow Art Day http://www.slowartday.com

The Annunciation by Masolino da Panicale

Images of Annunciation painting being described

It’s Christmas and that means it’s time to look at another of the Gallery’s gorgeous  Annunciation paintings. The elaborate inlay work decorating almost every square inch of this Renaissance room almost makes you miss the main event! Masolino has chosen to show the moment after Gabriel’s astounding news but before Mary’s response.

We’ll find out why the room is so tilted and the real reason behind Mary’s silence.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.5MB)

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SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

“A Long Look” theme is “Ascension” by Ron Gelinas youtu.be/jGEdNSNkZoo

Episode theme is “Angeli, Archangeli” composed by Andrea Gabrieli. Performed by Michel Rondeau. Courtesy of musopen.org.

https://musopen.org/music/43293-angeli-archangeli/

https://musopen.org/music/performer/michel-rondeau/

https://musopen.org/music/composer/andrea-gabrieli/

Artwork information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.18.html

Tempera painting (video)
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/special-topics-art-history/creating-conserving/painting-materials-techniques/v/tempera-paint

Mary pose information
https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/11/30/pregnant-pause-mary-and-annunciation

“Christmas Story in Art” (video)
https://www.nga.gov/global-site-search-page.html?searchterm=christmas%20story%20in%20art&category=Audio%2FVideo&pageNumber=1&lastFacet=category

Slow Art Day http://www.slowartday.com

SUGGESTED READING

Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finley

Saint George and the Dragon by Sodoma

Image of the oil painting described in the audio.
Sodoma, Saint George and the Dragon, Italian, 1477 – 1549, probably 1518, oil on panel, Samuel H. Kress Collection

Slaying dragons and rescuing damsels–all in a day’s work for St. George of Cappadocia. We get his story from The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine, the same place I found the story of St. Lucy!

We also discover the flamboyant Sodoma, an artist I’ve never heard of! Apparently, this painting isn’t always on display so it was great to find this hidden gem.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (8.5MB)

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SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

“A Long Look” theme is “Ascension” by Ron Gelinas youtu.be/jGEdNSNkZoo

Episode theme is “Angeli, Archangeli” composed by Andrea Gabrieli. Performed by Michel Rondeau. Courtesy of musopen.org
https://musopen.org/music/43293-angeli-archangeli/
https://musopen.org/music/performer/michel-rondeau/
https://musopen.org/music/composer/andrea-gabrieli/

St. George information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.41691.html
Jacobus. The Golden Legend of Jacobus de Voragine. New York: Arno Press, 1970. Print.

Sodoma information
Priuli-Bon, Lilian. Sodoma. London: G. Bell & Sons, 1900. Print.
Vasari, Giorgio. Lives of the Most Eminent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects.

Slow Art Day http://www.slowartday.com

The Martyrdom and Last Communion of St. Lucy by Veronese

Image of the oil painting being described
Veronese (Venetian, 1528 – 1588), The Martyrdom and Last Communion of Saint Lucy, c. 1582, oil on canvas, Gift of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund 1984.28.1

This dramatic scene was painted by Paolo Veronese during the Counter-Reformation. The Church, reeling from years of corruption and the rise of Protestantism, relied on works like these to promote the importance and validity of the sacraments. And martyrs were meant to serve as role models to Catholics. The idea was, “Hey, look what this person is willing to go through for their faith!”

I thought it would be fun to have an actual artist on the podcast! So today, I’m joined by Bruce Campbell, one of the Gallery’s longtime copyists. We discuss technique and what he discovered while copying this painting he describes as operatic.

Lucy was one tough lady. Despite being born into a noble Sicilian family in the third century, she became a Christian at a time when Christians were being persecuted mercilessly. She stood up to an abusive Roman governor and died speaking her truth to power.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (21.5MB)

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SHOW NOTES

“A Long Look” theme is “Ascension” by Ron Gelinas youtu.be/jGEdNSNkZoo

Episode theme is “Adoramus te Christe” composed by Giovanni Palestrina. Performed by Słowiki Choir. Courtesy of musopen.org
https://musopen.org/music/4209-adoramus-te-christe/

St Lucy information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.63264.html#overview

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Lucy

de Voragine, Jacobus. The Golden Legend. Anno Press, NY 1969

Counter Reformation information
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/renaissance-and-reformation/protestant-reformation/v/introduction-to-the-protestant-reformation-the-counter-reformation-4-of-4

Bruce Campbell information
www.atelierbic.com

Slow Art Day http://www.slowartday.com

The Conversion of Saint Paul by Jacopo Tintoretto

Photo of the painting The Conversion of Saint Paul
Jacopo Tintoretto (Venetian, 1518 – 1594), The Conversion of Saint Paul, c. 1545, oil on canvas, Samuel H. Kress Collection 1961.9.43

Meet Saul of Tarsus, who is having a very bad day at work. We’ll find out what (or who) is causing all this commotion and how picking a fight with the wrong guy led Saul into an unexpected career change.

And we’ll also talk about the young, impatient Tintoretto who, like JMW Turner, loved to thumb his nose at convention.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.5MB)

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SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

“A Long Look” theme is “Ascension” by Ron Gelinas youtu.be/jGEdNSNkZoo

Episode theme is “Toccata and Fugue in Dm, BWV 565” composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. Performed by Paul Pitman

The Conversion of Saint Paul information
Robert Echols, “Jacopo Tintoretto/The Conversion of Saint Paul/c. 1544,” Italian Paintings of the Sixteenth Century, NGA Online Editions, https://purl.org/nga/collection/artobject/46142 (accessed June 06, 2019).

Tintoretto: Artist of Renaissance Venice, Exhibition Catalog (NGA store)

Slow Art Day http://www.slowartday.com

The Adoration of the Shepherds by Giorgione

Painting by Giorgione showing shepherds and the Holy Family worshiping Jesus after the Nativity.
Giorgione (Venetian, 1477/1478 – 1510), The Adoration of the Shepherds, 1505/1510, oil on panel, Samuel H. Kress Collection 1939.1.289

The Gallery calls Giorgione “one of the most mysterious artists in the history of art.” We’ll talk about his innovative landscape style and where he got the idea for this gorgeous and unusual depiction of the Nativity.

We’ll also find out the meaning of rocks and just what the heck is up with those floating baby heads at the top of the cave!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.6MB)

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SHOW NOTES

“A Long Look” theme is Ascension by Ron Gelinas

Episode theme is Almain I (For Bassoon and Harp – Höger-Rønnes) composed by John Bull, performed by Mac Playback Harp. Courtesy of musopen.org.

The Adoration of the Shepherds information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.432.html

In Depth: Madonna and Child by Gretchen Hirschauer, Associate Curator, Italian and Spanish Paintings

Cherub information
Hopler, Whitney. The Differences Between Cherubs, Cupids, and Other Angels in Art. ThoughtCo, Jun. 22, 2018, thoughtco.com/cherubs-and-cupids-angels-of-love-124005.

Giorgione information
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giorgione

Slow Art Day

RECOMMENDED READING

Inventing the Renaissance Putto by Charles Dempsey