We went to a museum with what seemed to be the discards of all the dozens of churches in the city. As interiors got updated, with new art styles, the old pieces were stored somewhere, until they ended up in this museum. And it was very interesting to see the almost-copies of famous paintings of the masters, like Leonardo and Raphael, or the same groupings or poses, but by not-masters. We thought it is like today, when a very popular book comes out, and the next two years of new books has the same theme or style repeated by the followers of trends. That is not to say that it isn’t acceptable to copy master works. It most certainly is, to learn. Putting one’s own touch on it will happen inevitably, so it will be original. We had fun, too, envisioning the artist in the works, because every art work is a self-portrait of sorts.
(Please excuse the glare in some pictures. Museums tend to have terrible lighting, at least for photography.)
A well in what used to be a courtyard, now covered.
Self-evident Bible stories on part of an altar painting.
One of us was particularly interested in the hands, especially the odd ones. I will do a separate post on hands, and feet.
I like old fragments. This was a rescued piece of fresco, beautifully rendered.
This one is a mere ghost of itself, much abused to make a surface for a later layer, but fortuitously preserved in its subtle glory.
A whole tiny chapel preserved.
Polychromed wood
A drawing for a bronze “tabernacle”
A cheerful fellow, despite being worm eaten. Also polychromed wood.
An “in-the-manner-of” work of a Master by a not-master.
Following is a series of relief sculptures of the Evangelists and Apostles. We found them quite Italian. Italian things seem to be solid and sturdy and substantial. Their cookies are not fluffy bits of melt-in-your-mouth buttery- ness; they have bite and crunch and feel. Buildings are solidly stone, set firmly in the ground. And these fellows are no-nonsense men.
Each is identified by his historical symbol, codified by Jerome, based on the symbolism in Ezekiel of the four creatures.
St. Mark, with his lion (his book starts with the wilderness account, and emphasizes the royal kingship of Jesus, thus the lion)
St. Luke with his calf or ox (his book starts with the nativity story, and emphasizes Christ’s sacrifice)
St. John with his eagle (his gospel starts with and is filled with the soaring divinity of Jesus as creator-God, thus the eagle)
St.Matthew with his “man” ( his book starts with the human lineage of Jesus and emphasizes His humanity)
St. Peter, I think, because he is typically paired with the Apostle Paul
St.Paul, with his sword, rightly dividing the word of truth.
To be continued….
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