Within the Old Hospital museum, was a chapel ( actually several, but this was the biggest). Within, two nuns were singing a liturgy in beautiful harmonies.
And at the back of the chapel was the most wonderful creche ever. St. Francis of Assisi invented the concept of Nativity scenes. His were live. So the Italians take theirs very seriously, and have made an art form of it. This one was the work of one man and a few helpers in a tiny town in some rural place. It was loaned to this chapel from November to February on a traveling tour. It was entirely hand-sculpted. The figures are of terracotta, painted, and dressed. And the light slowly changed from daylight to night. At “night,” tiny street lights came on. And a shooting star traveled across the sky.
A traditional procession in the village
See the star in the background. Here the Wisemen have replaced the shepherds visiting the Christ Child.
A vast amount of culture is depicted and implied in this whole work.
The details are amazing. For scale- how big are the human figures? It’s hard to tell in the photos.
ReplyDeleteRoughly 5”. SMB
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