“With the expulsion from the Garden we begin a cycle.” It can be difficult to formulate “rules” for an artistic form because we can almost always find an example that breaks the rule. There really are no rules when it comes to the Gothic form. There is received sacred traditionContinue Reading
“transcendent truths that are always true in spite of relativism, political correctness, or a misplaced sense of politeness.” Saint Augustine of Hippo once said, “When regard for truth has been broken down or even slightly weakened, all things will remain doubtful.” The truth is no longer valued as it onceContinue Reading
“Man is different from all the other creatures” MS M.638, fol. 1v illustrates Genesis 1:20 to Genesis 3:6, the Fifth Day of Creation to the Forbidden Fruit. The angels continue to praise God during the creation of the fifth and sixth days. In the Iconographic tradition a gold background representsContinue Reading
“Every artist reacts to what is around him as well as what came before” Hell and Heaven There was once a worldly man, concerned chiefly with his own success and achievements, who questioned the nature of Heaven and Hell. One night he had a vision. In the vision an angelContinue Reading
“the Maciejowski Bible is a wonderful treasure, not only as a source of medieval iconography but also for its high level of artistic skill.” The Maciejowski Bible, also know as the Crusader Bible or the Morgan Bible is a 13th century illuminated manuscript held at the Morgan Library & MuseumContinue Reading
“Our work is to continually restore a world that has been broken by our fallen nature” The Pieta Why did Jesus insist on being baptism? John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. But Jesus was without sin so why was He so persistent about being baptizedContinue Reading
“Complacency is a satisfaction with the way things are and a rejection of things as they might be.” A Lesson From the Wild Ronald Meredith, in his book “Hurryin’ Big For Little Reasons,” describes one quiet night in early spring: “Suddenly out of the night came the sound of wildContinue Reading
“God has given us all a role to fulfill, it is for us to choose whether or not we do so.” Art For Art’s Sake The idea of art for art’s sake is a relatively new concept in the human understanding of art. It something of the culmination of aContinue Reading
“Advent is traditionally a period of fasting and prayer as we prepare ourselves for the great day of our salvation. But we must remember that it is also a time of joy and anticipation.” It is a time of testing, preparation, and joy. The Angel of the Desert In traditionalContinue Reading
“As the days grow shorter and colder we learn that this world will one day end. …Until that day comes, we have a choice to make.” It is an old joke. A businessman needs to hire an accountant for his business. From all the applicants he selects three to interview.Continue Reading