On Beauty as a way to God

Zenit has published the text of Pope Benedict's Wednesday audience .  It was good to read that he included architecture as one of the types of art that express our faith. He said, in speaking about the great Gothic cathedrals, "We are ravished by the vertical lines that reach heavenward and draw our gaze and our spirit upward, while at the same time, we feel small and yet yearn to be filled."  Who does not stand in awe when confronted by this "theology" in stone.

The awesome majesty of God is reflected in nature, the work of His hands.  Yet, God also created us with the ability to create things of beauty. When we as artists produce works of art, we are participating, through the Grace of God, in His creative power, and we have a responsibility to create art that is truly beautiful and becomes "a moment of grace that moves us to strengthen our bond and our converstion wit the Lord."

A doorway to the infinite

Pope Benedict XVI,  in his Wednesday audience today, spoke about experiencing God through works of Art.  The full text is not available yet but Catholic New Service posted excerpts of his remarks. The Pope said, "Art is like an open doorway to the infinite, toward a beauty and truth that go beyond everyday reality." I have always felt this way about art. Back in July, I commented on the Pope's address to artists.  The Church has always been a patron of the arts, and as an artist I am encouraged in my craft by the Pope's words.  After reading the Pope's address in July, I mentioned that I was going to pick up my brushes again. After a ten year hiatius, I found that my former way of painting was too stiff and that I was a bit too realistic for my current liking.  Urged on by my son, himself an artist and craftsman, I decided to get a bit more creative with my old unfinished dogwoods.  I was also encouraged by a book recommended by Elizabeth Scalia over at The Anchoress. The book, The Artist's Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom by Christine Valters Paintner, caught my interest because she blends Benedictine spirituality with the practice of one's craft, perfect for an artist who is also an oblate.  I have only just begun reading it, but already I feel it will inspire me to keep on with my painting, and I will have plenty of time to do that while recovering from my upcoming surgery.

The Pope, when refering to art, includes not only the graphic arts but music, writing and dance as well.  I humbly admit that I am involved in the first two of those artistic endeavors, and while I was in the modern dance club in college, my dancing now is limited to the occasional wedding or dinner dance. Music is one of my favorite but lately neglected passions. Next to the study of theology, I love music. I have a favorite quote of Martin Luther who said,

"I am strongly persuaded that after theology, there is no art that can be place on a level with music, for besides theology, music is the only art capable of affording peace and joy to the heart."

Luther had a lot to do with introducing vernacular hymns into the liturgy for he knew the spiritual power of song, and many time honored and beautiful hymns were composed by Lutherans.  Perhaps music can become one of the vehicles for reconciliation and hopefully someday unity. 

Song of Songs III by Marc Chagall

The beauty and the "theology" of art extends beyond creedal differences. This was made clear in the Pope's reflections when he praised the work of Marc Chagall and Bach.  These artists, through graphic art and music respectively, were able to lift the mind and heart to God. Many other non-Cathoic artists have done the same. Even those artists that whose subjects or themes are not religious, can through the beauty of their work, draw their viewers into meditating on the beauty of the Almighty. The Orthodox refer to icons and theology in color.  Good art, especially religious art, can also be theology in color, in notes, in words, in movement and in drama. It can tell a story, but can also can "open the mind's eye and one's heart, pushing us upward."

I look forward to reading the complete text as soon as it is available, and to continue to produce art for the glory of God.

St. Apollinaris and Ravenna



Basilicia of Saint'Appollinare
in Classe



 Today being the memorial of St. Apollinaris, I am posting some pictures of the two of the churches named for St. Apollinaris in the city of Ravenna, Italy.  In 1999, while on a trip to Italy with my mom, we had the opportunity to visit these churches and view their magnificent mosaics. It is off the beaten path so it is not a popular tourist stop, but a must for anyone who is an art lover and interested in the almost lost art of mosaics. There are eight places in Ravenna listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Ravenna was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, and was greatly influenced by the Byzantine when in the 6th century Emperor Justinian I made Ravenna the seat of the Byzantine Empire in Italy.





Saint'Apollinarius Nuova



There are two basilicas named for St. Apollinarius, a  bishop and martyr who tradition states was appointed by as bishop of Ravenna by St. Peter himself.  The basilicas of Saint'Apollinare in Classe and Saint'Apollinare Nuovo are both in the Romanesque style but their mosaics are Byzantine.  

The following  are from Saint'Apollinarius in Classe.



St. Apollinaris



Baptism of Jesus



Apse



Interior of the basilica





The following are from Saint'Apollinarius Nuovo. The mosaics on the sides of the nave are male and female martyrs facing toward the sanctuary. We know this because they are carrying the crowns of martyrdom.



Nave of Saint'Apollinarius Nuovo



female martyrs



male martyrs

These particular mosics came to mind immediatly when I first walked into the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles and saw the magnificent tapestries that line the walls of the nave. 

Despite the Cathedral being ultra modern in design, the tapestries show the influence of early Church art.  As I have posted previously, I think we have lost something in today's modern world with regard to great relious art.  Religious art was meant to catechize people and to lift their hearts to God.  I think the mosaics of Ravenna are fine examples and I wish I had more room here to explore further the art work in these beautiful churches. If you are ever in Italy, it is worth the trip to see these and the other historic places in Ravenna.

The Beauty of Truth and Charity

I started out my adult life as an art major.  It's not that I was extremely talented in that area, but it was something I enjoyed, and for a number of years I worked as an art teacher. When the Spirit led me into the world of theology, specifically liturgy, my life's path changed as I focused on new areas to immerse myself.  However, I did find that art and theology went very well together.  Over the years I would dabble in different art and craft forms, but I have always been drawn back to oil painting.  My last attempt had to be eight or nine years ago when I started painting the Kousa Dogwood in front of our house.  I never finished it.  I don't finish a lot of things, which is something I need to explore, but the desire to paint is always there (even if it is just painting the dining room walls).

For awhile now that feeling of wanting to go back to painting has surfaced again. I thought about taking a class on writing icons, which I still might do, but in discovering my unfinished dogwood painting a few weeks ago, I really feel the call to work in oils. I have come across some beautiful photographs of flowers that I thought would be good subject matter, but all of a sudden I felt nudged to paint religious subjects. Over the centuries, religious art was the dominant subject of most art forms, but it seems that aside form the liturgical arts, statues, and architecture, we do't see our faith expressed that much anymore in paintings.  One could say that religious themes don't fit in well with today's modern art, but even as reently as the middle of the last century, artists like Salvatore Dali made religion a focus of much of their art. In fact, Dali's depiction of Christ of St. John of the Cross is one of my favorite works. I have it on a prayer card to mark my place in my journal and I meditate on it often,

Another 20th century modern artist that I am fond of is Georges Rouault. I was introduced to his monumental work Miserere et Guerre when taking a course on Theology and Art at Notre Dame. Rouault created a series of prints that show that when the world suffers, God suffers with us, and that His mercy endures all suffering. If you ever get the opportunity to sees the entire work of 58 prints, you will not be disappointed. 

My point in mentioning these artists is to show that contemporary religious art is possible and it is a shame that we do not see more of it. I was speaking with someone this past Tuesday, July 5th, about my thoughts on painting religious themes.  Call it coincidence or not, but the very next day, I read that Pope Benedict XVI gave an address to artists on July 4th at an exhibit titled The Splendor of Truth, The Beauty of Charity, that was organized in honor of his 60th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood. The following words in the Pope's address spoke to me:

"Dear Friends...never separate artistic creativity from truth and charity; never seek beauty far from truth and charity, but with the richness of your genius, of your creative impulse, be always courageous seekers of truth and witnesses of charity. Make truth shine in your works so that their beauty awakens in the sights and hearts of those who admire them the desire to make their existence, all existence, beautiful and true, enriching it with that treasure that never diminishes, which makes of life a work of art and of every man an extraordinary artist: [the treasure of] charity, love."

Wow, just what I needed to read to encourage me to pick up my brushes.  I went in search of my paint box and lo and behold the tubes of oils are still good.  I even went out and bought some canvases.  So I am ready to begin...but first I have to finish my dogwoods.

Trinity Sunday

Today we celebrate Trinity Sunday. It is one of those feasts that celebrates one of the central dogmas of our faith, that is that God is a Trinity of three Persons who exist as one God.  This is a mystery that is almost impossible to explain and even harder to understand.  Thoughout the centuries, theologians have tried to explain it using symbols.  St. Patrick is noted for using the shamrock or three leaf clover to explain the Trinity. The three sections of leaves on the plant are each distinct but together they make up one leaf. 

 

The ancient Book of Kells from the early 9th Century illustrates the Trinity in what is popularly called the Celtic Knot. It is interesting that this has become popular with young people for whom this has become an often requested tatoo image.  I often wonder if the significance of the image is known or if it is just chosen to express their Irish heritage.

My favorite depiction of the Trinity is Rublev's 15th Century icon of the Trinity. It written as a depiction of the angels visit to Abraham from the Book of Genesis, but it is full of  Trinitarian symbolism. If you click the link you will be able to navigate around the images of the icon to learn their meaning.  This is why I love icons, they are so rich in symbolic meaning.

So what does the Trinity mean to me? My favorite way to enter into the mystery of the Trinity is with the word "perichoresis."  It is a Greek word that literally means "to dance around;" peri meaning "to circle" and choresis meaning "dance" (the root of the word choreography).  It is a word that was first used by the early Church Fathers, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssea, Gregory of Nazianizus and John of Damascus to describe the relationship of the Father, Son and Spirit. St. John wrote, “The subsistences [i.e., the three Persons] dwell and are established firmly in one another. For they are inseparable and cannot part from one another, but keep to their separate courses within one another, without coalescing or mingling, but cleaving to each other. For the Son is in the Father and the Spirit: and the Spirit in the Father and the Son: and the Father in the Son and the Spirit, but there is no coalescence or commingling or confusion. And there is one and the same motion: for there is one impulse and one motion of the three subsistences, which is not to be observed in any created nature” (The Orthodox Faith, 1.14).

I do like  the image of a dance.  If you look at dancers, and I am not talking about what you see on "So You Think You Can Dance," or "Dancing with the Stars" or other such TV shows, but real ballroom dancing, the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers sort of dancing. The dancers are individual persons, each having their own distinct movements and costumes, but together they create something beautiful and cohesive.  You cannot have someone ballroom dance alone.  It just cannot be done. So too with the Trinity.  The Trinity is a Communio Personarum, a community of Persons who move and flow and draw life from one another in a "Great Dance" of Love. 

The Celtic Knot seems to illustrate this concept, but in a static sense. However, the Love of the Trinity is always moving, like the dance. The best part of this Dance is that God is always drawing us into it. God wants us to be part of Him.  We make the choice to "sit it out" or to accept the invitation to join in the Dance, to be gathered into the very Life of the Trinity for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever.

The Visitation

Today is the Feast of the Visitation. I love this painting by Carl Block, an artist I am not familiar with.  I love this painting because of the excitement that is shown in Elizabeth welcoming Mary and her unborn Son.  Her arms are open wide and it seems as if any moment she will run down the stairs to embrace her cousin and welcome Mary into her home.

This feast, I believe, celebrate hospitality.  As an Benedictine Oblate, hospitality is something that we are called to practice.  St. Benedict teaches to welcome all as if welcoming Christ.  But that is not always easy and as an introvert, it is not always easy for me.  I am being challenged to come out of my own insecurities and to show more hospitality toward others.

I also believe that this is a feast that celebrates women.  There is a special bond between women that I don't think can exist between men.  Social mores allow a certain amount of intimacy and physicality between women that is not usually accepted between men.  Women tend to be more open with other women and more accepting, despite what the TV reality shows would like us to believe.  

I also think that childbirth creates a unique bond.  The fact that women can bring forth life is something that brings all women together, even those who do not have children.  It is something innate, a sense of nurturing and nourishing that is part of our nature as women.  I found this painting online. I don't know the artist, but again it portrays the great joy Elizabeth expresses.  Luke writes on the lips of Elizabeth, "But who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?" We too can ask that same question. Mary comes to us, as a mother, but also as a woman, who shares with us everything that womanhood entails.  Let us welcome her as we welcome her Son.

Botticelli and the Nativity

Since I am on a well deserved vacation, my posts will probably be short, but I'll continue exploring art work on the subject of our Blessed Lady. While not specifically focused on Mary, we cannot ignore the images of the nativity. We are so used to seeing the sometimes overly sentimental images we see on Christmas cards that we overlook some of the great paintings that have been created throughout the centuries. The above painting of the birth of Jesus is titled "Mystical Nativity" and was painted by Sandro Botticelli in 1500.  It is full of symbolism, and while it is a depiction of the birth of Jesus it also contains images from Revelation and the second coming. It also contains iconic elements.  

Botticelli was a Florentine artist of the early Renaissance and his work certainly influences some of the great Renaissance artists.  He also painted several images of the "Adoration of the Magi," such as the one above. While he created many religious paintings he is probably most known for his paintings done for villa of Lorenzo de Medici, "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera" which show his fascination with the Greek mythology.

Just as with many Renaissance artists, Mary was a favorite subject. This painting, "Madonna and Child with Six Saints," is in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.  From left to right the saints are Mary Magdelene, John the Baptist, Cosmos and Damian, St. Francis and Catherine of Alexandria.

Birth of Mary

I promised I would dedicate much of the month of May to art work depicting the Blessed Mother. So, even though I have already presented a few pieces I thought I would look at Our Lady in chronological order. The above fresco is of the Birth of Mary and was painted by Giotto.  He was an Italian artist of the late 13th early 14th Centuries.  He is known for making the transition from Byzantine and Middle Age art to the early Renaissance.  He is one of the first artists to give his figures a more realistic look and put them in natural poses. He also used colors that had not been used before. In this fresco, he depicts the mid-wives wrapping the infant Mary in swaddling clothes (pictured on the floor by the bed) and then presenting the child to her mother Anne.  The presentation of two figures of the same subject in the same painting looks odd, but was fairly common in the Middle Ages.

What is really interesting about this subject, the birth of Mary, is that it is not Scriptural.  The account of the birth is found in the Protoevangelium of James, an apocryphal gospel, yet it found its way into Catholic and Orthodox tradition, and is attested to from the 4th Century on. The birth of Mary is celebrated on September 8th.

Good Shepherd Sunday

Early depiction of the Good Shepherd -
Catacomb of St. Priscilla, Rome

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. The image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is one of the earliest depictions of Jesus as shown above in this ceiling painting found in the Catacomb of Priscilla, where I had the privilege of seeing it. Even before images of the crucifixion became popular, the image of the Good Shepherd was the most popular portrayal of Jesus.  The Gospel we hear today is from John 10, where Jesus identifies himself with the Good Shepherd.  It is a bit different than the parables of the Lost Sheep that we hear in Matthew and Luke.  When we think of Jesus as the Good Shepherd we easily identify Him with these parables, especially since artistic renderings usually show Jesus carrying a sheep on his shoulders, bringing it back to the flock.  What makes the pericope from John different is that Jesus is not speaking about seeking out the lost, but giving up His life in protection of His flock.  This Shepherd just doesn't go looking for lost sheep but protects all His sheep to the point of dying for them.  Jesus also issues a warning for those who would lead His sheep astray, the "false shepherds," who do not really care for the sheep but just for their own gain.

Important to this passage is that Jesus identifies Himself with the Father. He says, "I AM the Good Shepherd."  It is one of the seven "I AM" statements in John's Gospel.  These statements recall what God said to Moses in Exodus 3:14 when Moses asked God to tell him His name, and God said "I AM WHO AM."  Observant first century Jews would have easily made this connection.

Good Shepherd mosaic
Mausoleum of Galla, Ravenna, Italy

But the thing that stands out for me in this passage is, "The shepherd calls each of his sheep by name and leads them out...and the sheep follow him because they know his voice." The idea of God calling us by name is one that we hear over and over again in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.  Yet, we have to be attentive to the call, and once we recognize Who it is that is calling us, I believe that the only choice we can make is to follow His voice because it leads to the abundant life.  I think this is beautifully portrayed in this 5th century mosaic in Ravenna.  In this mosaic, Jesus is not just a simple peasant shepherd, but He is easily identified as Christ by the gold nimbus,  the cross, and the gold and purple colors of his garments.  This mosaic is of Byzantine style so everything in it has some meaning.

Also today we celebrate Vocations Sunday. When Pope Paul VI instituted the first World Day of Prayer for Vocations in 1964, he said, "O Jesus, Divine Shepherd of the spirit, you have called the Apostles in order to make them fishermen of men, you still attract to you burning spirits and generous young people, in order to render them your followers and ministers to us." Let us pray today and always that more young people will be open to hearing God's call to serve God and God's people in ordained ministry, in religious life, and as lay leaders in our Church. But most of all, may we all be open to answering the Shepherd's call to follow Him where ever He may lead us.

Raphael's Madonnas

One of my favorite artists, and one who especially loved to paint our Blessed Mother, was Raphael Santi.  Raphael was an artist of the high Renaissance and a contemporary (and rival) of Michelangelo. The Madonna seem to be one of his favorite subjects.  One of his most popular is the Madonna of the Chair.  It is painted on a circular piece of wood, which seems to really draw the viewer into the subjects. What I  like best about his paintings are the expressions he puts on the face of his Madonnas.  It is one of peace and tranquility.  

A good number of Raphael's paintings of our Lady show her with Jesus and the young John the Baptist, usually outside in a meadow or in a garden outside a city.  What is striking to me is that the Child Jesus and his cousin are not tiny infants but often toddlers, are usually naked and quite robust.  The other aspect of his compositions that stands out for me is the tenderness of the interactions between Mary and the holy Children.  It is one that any of us who are mothers can easily relate to.  They are very natural and show the true humanity of the Virgin and her Offspring. 

As things have it, I had planned to write about Raphael's paintings and a friend and a classmate of mine from Notre Dame posted this on Facebook yesterday. It includes a number of Raphael's paintings.  He posted it as a tribute to his mother who passed away this year.  I post it in honor of our Lady, in memory of Tom's mom, and for all our mothers.  It is a beautiful composition of Ave Maria by Morten Lauridsen, a contemporary composer.  I hope you enjoy it. I did.

Picturing Mary

Since May is the month of Mary, I thought it might be a nice idea to look at some art work depicting Mary througout the centuries.  Of all the human subjects ever used in art, our Blessed Mother is probably the most popular.  Yet if we look at the Marian art most Catholics would have in their homes, I would catagorize it "Catholic kitsch."  What is that, you ask?  It is sort of what you find on holy cards, statuettes, popular renderings, and even some truly outrageous stuff.  I keep saying that one day I am going to start a collection of Catholic kitsch.  If the American Pickers can find buyers and collectors for the stuff they find, think of what I could do in Catholic circles with some of the strange things I've come across. Like the "glow in the dark" Mary.  Or how about this rainbow collection of Marys.  You can have a color for whatever mood you might be in.  I even came across one that had an LED display and it would flash different colors.

Then there are the popular portrayals of Mary that we find on holy cards or receive in the mail with requests for donations.  Usually it is a picture of Our Lady of Grace, Our Lady of Fatima, or the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  While there is nothing wrong with these images, they pale next to the great works of art down through the centuries that show us the depth of Marian devotion. Having studied art, and being Catholic, I am fascinated by the ways Mary has been portrayed, and while I am sure these popular depictions do much to foster people's devotion, I prefer the more classical artistic renderings.

The earliest known depiction of Mary is found on the walls of the Catacomb of Priscilla  in Rome. The paintings found in this catacomb are beautiful. In this wall painting from the beginning of the third century, we see Mary nursing Jesus while a man who appears to be a prophet, points to the star (out of view). It is a reference to the prophesy by Balaam in the book of Numbers 24:17, "A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel."  I find it appropriate that the first painting of Mary is one of her engaging in one of the most motherly things she can do, and that is nourish her Child. The image of Mary as the nursing mother is not as popular as other images, although I have found many beautiful paintings online.  Perhaps the image of Mary with her breast exposed is something some people don't deal with well expecting a greater sense of modesty in a portrayal of Our Lady, yet nursing a child is the most natural, intimate, and beautiful things a woman can do.  

Over 30 years ago, someone gave me a holy card and medal with the image of "Our Lady of the Plentiful Milk and Happy Delivery" from the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche in St. Augustine, Florida. I was a young nursing mother at the time and this image meant much to me.  Meditating on Our Lady nursing Jesus got me through many sleepless nights with a fussy baby knowing that Mary too comforted her Precious Child at the breast. The medal is still attached to my rosary.

When I made a pilgrimage to Greece several years ago, I purchased a nineteenth century icon of the nursing Madonna.  It was first spotted by one of my fellow pilgrims who wanted it, but once I saw it I knew I had to have it. It originally comes from Crete. It is a rare depction and very precious to me, although I must admit, it has bothered me that the writer of the icon had very little sense of female anatomy.

Throughout this month of Mary, along with other posts, I will comment on some of my favorite works of art depicting our Blessed Mother.

Hosanna to the Son of David

Holy Week begins. For me, as a parish liturgist, this is my busiest week, so much so that I often don't have the time to sit and meditate on what it is we are celebrating. I do know how important it is however, to find the time to focus on what our Lord Jesus has done for us and to contemplate the Paschal Mystery that this week celebrates.

One of the ways I meditate on the events in our Lord's life is through art. Perhaps that comes from majoring in art in college. I also know that art speaks to the heart, often in ways that words cannot. Over the centuries, up until the nineteenth century, religious subjects were the most popular subjects in paintings and sculpture. The graphic arts also served a catechetical function since many people were illiterate and art told the stories of faith.

One of the most popular art forms, at least in the Eastern and Orthodox Christian tradition, are icons. They are among the most ancient Christian art forms. Icons are called "windows to eternity" or "theology in color." The icon is not simply a painting, but stands as a symbol, drawing the viewer in to experience the mystery depicted. An icon is not meant to be realistic and everything in the icon has meaning. Sit with an icon and let it draw you in.

As I meditate on the icon of our Lord's entry into Jerusalem I often wonder how it was that it all turned around. One moment "Hosanna," the next "crucify Him." Isn't it like that with us sometimes? One moment we are praising God, and the next we find ourselves giving into temptations that lead to sin. And wasn't it our sins that crucified Him? So, as we enter our churches this Palm Sunday morning, let us sing Hosanna, and let us praise the Son of David, our King and our Lord. As we do, let us also call to mind our sins, and leave our celebration of the Eucharist ready to enter into enter into the mystery of Christ's Passion.