Tag: nativity

The Christmas Episode

  • Oil painting of Virgin Mary and Angel Gabriel inside Gothic church.
  • Painting of shepherds outside a cave viewing the infant Jesus
  • Portrait of William Grant ice skating.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to celebrate Christmas after this dumpster fire of a year. But we’re starting to have some good news, so I’ve become cautiously optimistic. 

But did I feel optimistic enough to do a holiday episode? Would anyone want to hear one? I put the question to you in Instagram (@alonglookslowart) and the answer was a resounding yes! You guys are the best! So I pulled together three past episodes on works by Jan van Eyck, Giorgione and Gilbert Stuart that reflect the season and the idea of hope and miracles. Follow these links to their page on the Gallery’s site. On each Gallery page, click on the image and you’ll be able to zoom in and pan around.

So please join me for this extended Christmas episode of “A Long Look!”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (15.9MB)

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BTW, the show will go back into hibernation after this. I’ve got some exciting changes brewing, which I’ll let you know about here and on Instagram!

SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

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

The Annunciation
Theme is “Greensleeves” performed by Paul Arden Taylor and Carol Holt

Gallery entry
Jan van Eyck (Netherlandish, c. 1390 – 1441 ), The Annunciation, c. 1434/1436, oil on canvas transferred from panel, Andrew W. Mellon Collection
https://www.nga.gov/Collection/art-object-page.46.html

Adoration of the Shepherds
Theme is “Almain I,” composed by John Bull, performed by Mac Playback Harp. Courtesy of musopen.org

Gallery entry
Giorgione (Venetian, 1477/1478 – 1510), The Adoration of the Shepherds, 1505/1510, oil on panel, Samuel H. Kress Collection 1939.1.289
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.432.html

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

The Skater (Portrait of William Grant)

Theme is “6 String Quartets – Quartet no. 1” composed by Charles Wesley, performed by Steve’s Bedroom Band.  Courtesy of musopen.org 

Gallery entry 
Gilbert Stuart, The Skater (Portrait of William Grant), American, 1755 – 1828, 1782, oil on canvas, Andrew W. Mellon Collection
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.39729.html

George Washington (The Athenaeum Portrait) (National Portrait Gallery)

Serpentine Greeting/Mohawk (YouTube video)

The Nativity of the Virgin – Andrea di Bartolo

Panel painting of the birth of the Virgin Mary
Andrea di Bartolo (Sienese, active from 1389 – died 1428), The Nativity of the Virgin, c. 1400/1405, tempera on poplar panel, Samuel H. Kress Collection 1939.1.42

Just like the Annunciation I talked about a while ago, there’s a lot going on in this scene portraying the birth of the Virgin Mary. This stunning panel is one of a trio showing events from the lives of Anna and Joachim, the parents of the Virgin Mary. We’ll find out the surprising way their struggle with infertility ended and how di Bartolo used small touches to turn this religious scene into something wonderfully warm and very human.

And there’s a mystery here! The catalog says this was very likely part of a large altarpiece and that several panels are missing! Click here to see what it might have looked like.

Also check out this video to see how these kinds of panels were created and how artists painted with gold!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (13.1MB)

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS

SHOW NOTES

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

Episode theme is Medieval March in D minor by Manel Fera. Courtesy of Soundcloud

Nativity of the Virgin information
Miklós Boskovits (1935–2011), “Andrea di Bartolo/The Nativity of the Virgin/c. 1400/1405,” Italian Paintings of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries, NGA Online Editions.

Altarpiece Reconstruction
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.183.html#supp-altarpiece_reconstruction

Andrea diBartolo information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.91.html

Gold-Ground Panel Painting  courtesy of the Khan Academy (video)

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