Picturing Mary: Day 24

 

The Virgin and child with St Anne Anonymous Flemish 15^th Century

Our Advent series finishes with a favourite painting of mine, picturing Mary cradling the sleeping Christ, with her own mother, (and my namesake!) St Anne, not mentioned in the Bible, but named in legends. She stands, or perhaps sits, on the low wall, above Mary. Anne’s right hand, although holding the book, also seems to hover over Mary’s head, blessing her. It’s a lovely, peaceful image, in which everyone appears to be in their own world, and yet perfectly connected to each other.

LINKS TO THE PICTURES

1.      https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/pentecost/f83b921d-2380-4dc9-8532-b3c597dab1e8

2.      https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frink.jpg

3.      https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Christ_Appearing_to_His_Mother_MET_DT2649.jpg

4.      https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/antonello-da-messina-christ-crucified

5.      https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Krak%C3%B3w_Piet%C3%A0_of_Tub%C4%85dzin.jpg

6.      https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yelin-bergpredigt-ca1912.jpg

7.      https://picryl.com/media/marriage-at-cana-from-bl-royal-2-b-vii-f-168v-d7b122

8.      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Finding_of_the_Saviour_in_the_Temple

9.      https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lorenzo_Costa_004.jpg

10.    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Annunciate_(Antonello_da_Messina,_Munich)#/media/File:Antonello_da_Messina_036.jpg

11.    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cestello_Annunciation#/media/File:Botticelli,_annunciazione_di_cestello_02.jpg

12.    https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/annunciation-triptych-merode-altarpiece/2gH9uXVRR_p-vQ?hl=en

13.    https://www.carlbloch.org/Mary-And-Elizabeth.html

14.    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visitation_(van_der_Weyden)#/media/File:Leipzig,_Museum_der_bildenden_K%C3%BCnste,_Rogier_van_der_Weyden,_Heimsuchung.JPG

15.    https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Luc-Olivier_Merson,_L%E2%80%99Arriv%C3%A9e_%C3%A0_B%C3%A9thl%C3%A9em.jpg

16.    https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/the-nativity-with-the-prophets-isaiah-and-ezekiel/VwFhxyyiHc20QA?hl=en

17.    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adoration_of_the_Shepherds#/media/File:The_Adoration_of_the_Shepherds_-_Matthias_Stom_(Stomer)_-_Google_Cultural_Institute.jpg

18.    https://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/ILLUMIN.ASP?Size=mid&IllID=31195

19.    https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436101

20.    https://www.wikiart.org/en/rembrandt/presentation-in-the-temple-1628

21.    https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2010.154

22.    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Odigitriya_Smolenskaya_Dionisiy.jpg

23.    https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/workshop-of-dirk-bouts-the-virgin-and-child-with-saint-peter-and-saint-paul

24.    https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/the-virgin-and-child-with-st-anne-141556

Questions for reflection

FIRST LOOK

·         When you first look at the picture, what do you notice? What is your eye first drawn to?

·         What shapes and colours are there in the picture? What spaces are there?

·         What is in the background, middle ground, and foreground?

·         Where are the people in the scene looking? Is anyone looking at you?

·         Where has the artist put you, the viewer, in relation to the picture? Are you looking down on the scene or looking up to it, are you a long way off or drawn into the action in some way?

·         How would you describe the picture to someone who couldn’t see it? What would you tell them about it?

 

PRAYING THE PICTURE

·         If the people in the picture could talk to you, what do you think they would say?

·         If you could choose to be part of this scene, where would you choose to be and what would you do?

·         What do you think the artist hoped you might feel and think as you looked at the picture? What do you think and feel? Tell God about it.

·         Imagine Jesus is looking at the picture with you. What do you want to say to him about it, and what does he say to you?