Looking at the Masters - Centreville Spy

Looking at the Masters: The National Gallery of Art (Part 3)

February 18, 2026 by Beverly Hall Smith Leave a Comment

The collection of the National Gallery of Art (NGA) includes art made by the best painters of the High Renaissance. The Medici of Florence, along with other wealthy families, studied classical art and literature. The visits of the Byzantine Emperor John Palaeologus to Florence in 1423 and 1439 served as a catalyst. Needing funds, Palaeologus sold many Greek and Roman art works to the Medici. Cosimo de Medici (1389-1454) began the collection. Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449-1492) was an insatiable collector.

“Lorenzo de Medici” (c.1513-20)

Attributed to Andrea del Verrocchio, or his workshop, the painted terracotta image of “Lorenzo de Medici” (c.1513-20) was fashioned after his death mask. The subject wears the simple padded and draped headdress of a Florentine citizen, not the elaborate crown that would represent his status. In a document dated 1471, Lorenzo recorded his calculation of the Medici expenditure of 663,000 florins ($460 million) for works of art and for charity. He wrote, “I do not regret this for though many would consider it better to have a part of that sum in their purse, I consider it to have been a great honor to our state, and I think the money was well-expended and I am well-pleased.”

“Guiliano de Medici” (1475-78)

The terracotta portrait (1475-78) (24”x26”x11”) of Lorenzo’s younger brother Guiliano de Medici is by Andrea del Verrocchio (c.1435-1488). He was a sculptor, painter, and goldsmith, the teacher of Leonardo da Vinci, and a Medici favorite. The portrait was commissioned for Giuliano’s coming of age celebration when a joust took place in his honor. Guiliano was the handsome, athletic, and popular brother and was depicted in several works of art. His Roman style armor is decorated with a winged face. The bust may have been originally painted and worn a metal helmet. Guiliano and Lorenzo were co-rulers of Florence. Guiliano was assassinated in the Pazzi conspiracy to take over Florence on Sunday, April 28, 1478.

“Crucifixion with the Virgin, St John, St Jerome and St Mary Magdelen” (1482-85)

“Crucifixion with the Virgin, St John, St Jerome and St Mary Magdelen” (1482-85) (53”x65”) (oil) was a commission to Pietro Perugino (c.1446/52-1523) for the chapel of the Dominican monastery church of San Gimignano. Little is known about Perugino’s early life. He was trained in the workshop of Verrocchio in Florence with da Vinci, Ghirlandaio, Filippo Lippi, and others. Piero della Francesco taught him perspective. A celebrated painter in Florence, Perugino was called upon by Pope Sixtus IV in 1481 to paint the walls of the Sistine Chapel. Perugino was Raphael’s teacher.

“Crucifixion with the Virgin, St John, St Jerome and St Mary Magdelen” was painted while he was working on the Sistine. Perugino was one of the first Italian painters to use oil paint that gives the work vibrant colors. His expertise in perspective is clearly illustrated with the vast landscape of mountains in the center panel, revealing streams, bridges, towns, castles, and the distant ocean and boats. Typical of Renaissance paintings, sunlight fills the scene. The well-realized figures quietly meditate on the crucified Christ. Their pointed toes are a unique aspect of Perugino’s work.

Influenced by Flemish painters, who introduced painting with oil-based paint, Perugino included a narrow floral carpet containing a variety of flowers and herbs at the front of the canvas. All are symbols of the Virgin. Perugino painted a skull at the base of the cross. Golgotha (place of the skull) (Calvaria in Latin) was used for executions, noted in Matthew 27:33: “They came to a place called Golgotha.”

St Jerome, at the left, always was depicted as an old man who lived in a cave in the desert. Coming down the path is the lion that he helped by removing a thorn from its paw. The lion then became Jerome’s protector. Opposite is Mary Magdalen who, after the death of Christ, retreated from the world to live in the wilderness. She typically is portrayed with very long hair.

“Madonna and Child” (1500)

Perugino’s “Madonna and Child” (1500) (oil) (28”x20’’) was the model for the 1986 United States religious postage stamp.

“Alba Madonna” (1510)

“Alba Madonna” (1510) (tondo 37’’) (oil) was painted by Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520) of Urbino, Italy. Of the three famous masters of the High Renaissance, Raphael was the youngest. Perugino was his teacher in Umbria from 1480 to 1500. He arrived in Florence in 1504 with a letter of recommendation: “The bearer of this will be found to be Raphael, painter of Urbino, who, being greatly gifted in his profession, has determined to spend some time in Florence to study. And because his father was most worthy and I was very attached to him, and the son is a sensible and well-mannered young man, on both accounts, I bare him great love.’’ Raphael was 21 years old, Michelangelo was 30, and da Vinci was 42. All were actively working in Florence. Raphael, an astute observer and eager to improve his craft, learned the best lessons these older artists’ work had to offer. He became a favorite of wealthy collectors.

The “Alba Madonna” is an excellent illustration of what Rapheal absorbed and what he brought to the easel. The painting was commissioned while he was in Rome, painting the Papal apartments in the Vatican for Julius II. Prelate Paolo Giovio, physician and writer, most likely commissioned the work for the altar in his church in Nocera. The Madonna, Christ, and John the Baptist became a popular grouping of subjects, although no Biblical passage refers to the three having met.

Raphael, a master of composition, used the triangle to position and pose the figures, the approach made popular by da Vinci. Mary’s pose forms a triangle–her head at the top, her shoulders angled downward, her arms forming the sides, and her seated position on the ground the base. Her bent knee forms another triangle. Mary looks toward her son, who looks at John, who looks back, completing the triangle. Smaller triangles are formed by the positions of Christ’s knee and John’s elbow. The neckline of Mary’s pink gown forms a triangle, pointing downward, and is matched by the pink triangle on the ground. The repeated use of triangles helps to stabilize the composition within the circle.

The composition is further stabilized by the perfectly positioned horizontal line in the landscape. The peaceful, sun filled landscape echoes the gentle curves, angles, and colors of the work. Circles are also used to repeat the round shape of the frame. Mary’s face, hair, and blue headdress, the blue gown resting on her shoulders, the roundness of Christ’s and John’s bodies, the stump on which Mary rests her arm, and the flow of her gown on the ground support the circle. The musculature of the children’s figures provides evidence of Raphael’s attention to the work of Michelangelo on the Sistine ceiling. Christ holds a small cross. Mary holds the Book of Knowledge. The line of her arm and leg form the hypotonus of a triangle. The three quietly contemplate the future.

“Ginevra de Benci” (1474-78)

“Ginevra de Benci” (1474-78) (oil) (15”x14”) is the only known painting in the United States by da Vinci. The National Gallery announced in February 1967 the purchase of the painting for a record setting $5 million. It was viewed by almost 1,000 people in the first hour it was on display on March 17 of that year. Members of the Medici circle wrote ten poems about Ginevra’s beauty, and Lorenzo wrote at least two sonnets to her. She was educated, a poet, and said to be a good conversationalist. She was sixteen when her portrait was painted, most likely for her engagement. The lower section of the painting has been cut off.

Traditional Florentine portraits presented a profile view of the sitter. Leonardo was one of the first to paint a three-quarter view. Ginevra looks out at the viewer, but she does not make eye contact. As in the profile paintings of the time, people of importance did not engage with viewers. In his early twenties at the time, Leonardo would not paint the “Mona Lisa” until thirty years later. “Ginevra” was one of his first oil paintings. He used the flexibility of the medium to depict soft shadows to mold Ginevra’s face.

The juniper behind her head takes up most of the composition. It was a symbol of female virtue, and in ancient Greece the tree was sacred to the Goddess Artemis. It was thought to be protective because of its spikey needles and was burned to cleanse temples and homes. The needles provide a contrast to Ginevra’s soft, golden curls. The blue sky viewed through the tree branches matches the blue laces of her gown. The zig zag laces draw the viewer’s eye toward the distant landscape.

“Ginevra de Benci” (verso)

The verso, or back side of the canvas, adds another level of symbolism. A sprig of juniper is painted in the center of a wreath made of laurel and palm branches. Apollo wore laurel branches as a victory wreath. Palm branches can represent fertility, purity, and beauty. They also are associated with Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. Encircling the three branches is a scroll with the Latin inscription that translates to Beauty Adorns Virtue.

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years. Since retiring to Chestertown with her husband Kurt in 2014, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL and the Institute of Adult Learning, Centreville. An artist, she sometimes exhibits work at River Arts. She also paints sets for the Garfield Theater in Chestertown.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Looking at the Masters: Delita Martin

February 12, 2026 by Beverly Hall Smith Leave a Comment

Delita Martin was born in 1972 in Conroe, Texas, near Houston, and continues to live and work in nearby Huffman. She says, “Everybody in my family made art. We would paint, we would draw, we’re storytellers. I was whining because I wanted to go to art school, and I didn’t realize I grew up in an art school! Quilters, storytellers, writers. And this was something that we did every single day. We just woke up and did it.”

She recalls that starting when she was five years old, her parents would introduce her to people and “always add that I was going to be an artist when I grew up, so it never really occurred to me to have a plan B or to consider that being an artist wasn’t a possibility.” A major influence on her and her family was their friendship with John Biggers (1924-2021), a prominent artist in the Haarlem Renaissance.

Martin received a BFA in drawing in 2002 from Texas Southern University and an MFA in printmaking in 2009 from Purdue University. She opened her studio, the Black Box Press, in Houston in 2008. She served as a part-time faculty member at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock from 2008 until 2012, and she was promoted to full-time in 2013. Her work became nationally recognized in 2011 when she was chosen for the College of Liberal Arts Emerging Voice Award. In 2015, the International Review of African American Art referred to Martin as one of sixteen “African American Artists to Watch.”

“Black Bird” (2016)

From the beginning, Martin was clear about her work: “The pieces are about my discovery of who I am as a person, an artist and a woman and how all the components come together to make me who I am.” She deals with the exclusion of African American women in the past and in the present. Her works are mixed media that begin with her photographs of family and friends. The process can include acrylic paint, relief print, lithography, charcoal, hand stitching, and anything she decides to attach to complete the story.

“Black Bird” (2016) (50’’x39’’) (Daughters of the Night series) is a photograph of herself, identifiable by the gold hoop earrings. “My ears were pierced when I was six months old with tiny gold hoops. The style of earring has become a symbol of inclusion in my work. Not only is it a circle, thus symbolizing the female, but it represents notions of totality, wholeness, the infinite, eternity, timelessness, and all cyclic movement.” Behind the figure are black circle shapes that enclose the blue and white honey comb patterns. Several different pattern pieces are cut in the shape of feathers provide the black bird’s garment. She stares out at the viewer, making eye contact and announcing her presence. No longer in the darkness, no longer invisible, she is present in today’s conversation.

“The Moon and Little Bird” (2018)

“The Moon and Little Bird” (2018) (79”x102”) (gelatin printing, collagraph printing, relief printing, decorative papers, hand-stitching, and liquid gold leaf on heavyweight papers) (Between Spirits and Sisters series) is influenced by Martin’s interest in the dual worlds, the physical and the spiritual. She refers to her sitters as spirit women. Her interest in her African origins led her to research the roles of African women. In Sierra Leon, West Africa, the women of the Sande society wear black helmet Sowei masks as shown on the woman at the right side of the work. The masks represent the ideal of ancestral beauty along with the elaborate braided hair styles. Rings around the neck represent the water through which women enter the physical world from the spirit world. Sande society, managed only by women, is responsible for enforcing the moral code. The mask is worn during initiations of young women into adulthood which involves their role in the community.

Martin, wearing her gold hoop earrings, sits calmly opposite the mask wearer and looks directly at the viewer. Sande society women are the only women in Africa that wear masks. Men are excluded in this space. Martin explains that this space is private and secret where women can express and exchange ideas freely. She describes the use of large scale works as making a “connection on a more intimate level…labor intensive…large scale to be seen and felt.” The question the work inspires is, “Are you the viewer or are you being viewed?”

“The Soaring Hour” (2018)

In “The Soaring Hour” (2018) (71”x51”) (Between Spirits and Sisters series) Martin again places herself in a vibrant blue night setting. Blue is symbolic of spirituality in many cultures, including Christianity, for example, in the Virgin’s blue gown. Martin holds a Sande mask, a symbol of a woman’s dual existence in one body. She calls these images a “veil state, the state between waking life and the spirit life.” Flowers and vines surround her. The painting is meant to inspire women to reach for and to achieve new experiences and new heights. “Flying isn’t always about escape, it’s also about freedom,” says Martin.

“Guardian” (2019)

“Guardian” (2019) (44”x30”) is an image Martin chose for her book Shadows in the Garden (2019). “I grew up surrounded by gardens and all kinds of farm animals. I often reflect on getting up early in the morning to pick fruits and vegetables with my grandma, my mama, and other women in my family. The seeds of these experiences working with land, tilling the earth, and being engaged with the elements of my environment have bloomed into what you’re recognizing in my work with the integration of birds, plants, and flowers.”

“Blue is the Color We See Before We Die” (2021)

“Blue is the Color We See Before We Die” (2021) (8’x6’) is a depiction of Yvette Smith, wearing the Sande mask, who was killed on the doorstep of her friend’s house in Texas on February 16, 2014, by Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel Willis. Her pose suggests she might be dancing. Her white dress is decorated with red poppies, where the fatal shots entered her body. Willis, in light blue, is removing his mask. His badge stands out against dark blue and black images of assault rifles on legs. The central figure composed of geometrical shapes is Smith’s neighbor Willis Thomas. The background consists of flowers and leaves on tall stems.

“Blue is the Color We See Before We Die” was commissioned in 2021 by the Law Enforcement Accountability Project (LEAP), ARRAY, and Ava Vernay. It was “dedicated to empowering activists as they pursue narrative change around the police abuse of Black people.” (LEAP)

The National Museum of Women in the Arts sponsored “Calling Down the Spirits,” an exhibit of Martin’s work in 2020. Her work was included in the 2022 Venice Biennale. Recent exhibitions include “Gathering of Bones” (Germany in 2022), “Sometimes My Blues Change Colors” (Massachusetts in 2024), and “What the Night Knew” (Texas in 2024).

“Mythologies” (2024)

“Mythologies” (2024) (60”x80”) was included in the exhibit “What the Night Knew.” The two female figures are the principal element in this work. The gold circle earring, the black circles, the large flowers with seed pods, and the mixture of patterns are Martin’s signature images.

“I think what I’m most excited about is how Black Women, themselves are reframing how they see themselves and other Black Women when they view my work. One of the most political subjects to date is the Black female body. When you, as a Black Woman, can take ownership of your body image, present a narrative that you know to be true and present it to the world, it can be very powerful and impactful. My answer to the white gaze has been simply not to entertain it. I understand that in the art world certain levels of success require an unspoken validation from the white gaze. I have never felt I needed that type of validation. I have always subscribed to just making good art and being prepared to be a good steward of the success that it would bring.” (Delita Martin interview)

Note: Martin is represented by Galerie Myrtis in Baltimore.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Looking at the Masters: The National Gallery of Art, Washington DC (Part 2)

February 5, 2026 by Beverly Hall Smith Leave a Comment

The National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington DC holds in its collection several 15th Century Italian Renaissance masterpieces. The earlier Byzantine style gave way to the International Gothic style. Commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church and wealthy families, works of art in the Gothic style can be identified by the elegant, often elongated figures dressed in rich garments with intricate details. Traveling artists made the style truly international

‘Madonna and Child” (1420-23)

Gentile da Fabriano (c.1370-1400) is considered to be one of the best representatives of the International Style. He was born in the town of Fabriano in the Marches, one of the most significant cultural areas on the east coast of Italy during the 15th Century. Not much is known about da Fabriano’s early life or art education. His altarpieces can be found in Pavia (1390), Venice (c.1405-1420), Foligno, Brescia, and Florence (c.1420-27). He died in Rome, where he is known to have worked for Pope Martin V.

The “Madonna and Child” (1420-23) (38”x22”) is thought to be his first work in Florence in 1420. Rather than a blue gown, the Madonna is dressed in a rich dark red cloak edged with decorative gold trim. She holds the Christ child, who wears a dark blue robe trimmed with gold. He stands on her lap with his hand resting on her chest. Her golden veil and the sleeves of her gold brocade undergarment are worthy of her role as Queen of Heaven. The halos are gold tooled.

The floral carpet on and under the bench is another hallmark of the International Style. The design element of fully blooming flowers of all seasons arranged close together on a dark green background was used across Europe. The section of inlaid wood flooring adds to the elegance of the setting. Fabriano did not choose to adopt the then newly discovered technique for depicting perspective. The bench appears to be slanted as are the tiles of the floor. The use of the gold background remained popular. He painted the subjects’ faces and figures in a more natural style. The Madonna’s arm is the exception.

“The Adoration of the Magi” (1440-60)

A spectacular painting in the NGA collection is “The Adoration of the Magi” (1440-60) by Fra Angelico (1395-1455) and Fra Filippo Lippi (1406-1469). Fra Angelico, born Guido di Piero, became a Dominican friar in c.1420, and he adopted the name Fra Giovanni da Fiesole. The name Fra Angelico was given to him in the 19th Century as a testament to the “angelic painter.” He was familiar with the work of the artist Gentile Fabriano, and he knew the Florentines Ghiberti, Donatello, and Brunelleschi. It was Brunelleschi who developed the method of making a flat two-dimensional painting look three-dimensional. One of Fra Angelico’s major patrons was Cosimo de Medici, founder of the Medici dynasty. It is likely that “The Adoration of the Magi” was commissioned by Cosimo, and records indicate it may have been hung in Lorenzo de Medici’s bedroom.

At the middle right side of the canvas, a large crowd of more than 100 travel from behind the mountains and enter the city through the large arched gate at the left. They have come to visit the new-born Christ child. The oldest of the Magi is placed in the lower center of the composition with Mary, Joseph, the Christ child, and a young shepherd in the beige cloak. The other two Magi are placed in the nearby crowd surrounded by angels. The city of Florence has held an Epiphany festival every five years on January 6 since 1390. The Medici family participated, often taking the roles of the Magi. Lorenzo, known as “il Magnifico,” changed his birthday from January 1 to January 6 so that the celebration would occur on Epiphany Day.

The stable with shepherds and the ox is a major feature. The large peacock on the roof is the symbol used by Giovanni de Medici, Cosimo’s son, with the French motto regarde-moi (watch me). Cosimo’s son Piero adopted the falcon as his symbol with the Latin motto semper (always). Here the falcon/hawk has caught a pheasant. A greyhound is placed on a floral carpet at the front of the scene, both symbols of great wealth. Greyhounds were the favorite dogs of the very wealthy.

Fra Angelico fills the composition with masses of people of all ages and types, and all dressed in his choice of bright pastel clothing. The man in bright orange on a black horse has raised his hands and looks up in wonder. It is presumed he is looking at the star of Bethlehem, not depicted in the painting. Some nearly naked men look down awkwardly from the partially wrecked stone building. They may represent those who will not accept the new religion, or perhaps those who will.

Fra Angelico was able to use the newly discovered technique of perspective, but he sometimes failed, likely as a result of the complexity of the composition. One of the difficulties was presented by the circular shape of the tondo. The tondo was a new and popular choice because it was the shape of the circular tray used to bring gifts to mothers with new babies. When Pope Eugene IV called Fra Angelico to Rome in 1445,

“Madonna and Child” (1440-45)

Fra Filippo Lippi’s “Madonna and Child” (1440-45) (31’’x20’’) is an example of the continued development of artists’ ability to paint realistically. He replaced the gold Byzantine background with a three-dimensional niche created by the Roman arch and columns. The scalloped shell, a symbol of purity and rebirth, was used in baptismal ceremonies. It also was a symbol of pilgrimage, serving as a sign of protection. The gold star painted on the right shoulder of the Madonna’s robe signified her role as Stella Maris (Star of the Sea), who guided sailors through the stormy seas and life. Fra Filippo painted a chubby Christ child with curly blond hair, a look that became popular among painters. Both appear solemn as they contemplate the future. Fra Filippo Lippo maintained a large studio where he taught several students. One was Sandro Botticelli.

“Adoration of the Magi” (1478-82)

Sandro Botticelli (1446-1510) was a favorite of the Medicis and a leading artist of the Italian Renaissance. His “Birth of Venus” (1485-86) was commissioned by the Medicis for one of their country villas. The “Adoration of the Magi” (1478-82) (27”x40”) is one of several of his works on this subject. The one in the NGA was painted in Rome when he and other prominent Florentine artists were called by Pope Sixtus IV to paint frescoes on the walls of the Sistine Chapel. In an earlier “Adoration” (c.1474-76), Medici family members served as models for the Magi. There are no Medicis in this one. The three Magi and their attendants are placed in a semi-circle around a ruined Roman temple that serves as the stable. Mary, Joseph, and the Christ child sit on the slightly elevated floor of the temple. All other figures are arranged on a floral carpet. The entourage of horses and attendants on the right are balanced on the left by two Roman arches that have fallen. Stones lay scattered in the scene.

Botticelli represents the new realism of the Renaissance with the variety of natural poses, facial expressions, and accurate three-dimensional depiction of the architecture. The scene is set in a vast landscape. The beams of the new roof of the Roman temple are symbolic of the new Christian religion that has replaced paganism. They resemble the beams of a Christian Basilica. New plants spring from the roofs of the remains of the fallen temples, referencing the “Shoots of Jesse” (Isaiah 11:1), a prophecy of the coming of Christ, the new leader who would spring from the root of King David.

All the paintings until this time were painted with egg tempera on wooden panels. Botticelli experimented with the new medium, oil paint. He developed a technique of tempera grassa where egg tempera was blended with oil or varnish. The result was richer, transparent, with finer details, and more durable. Botticelli used this technique in “Adoration of the Magi.”

“Madonna and Child with Cherubim’’ (1484)

“Madonna and Child with Cherubim’’ (1484) (22’’) (glazed terracotta) is one of many sculptures created by Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525) in Florence. Luca della Robbia (1400-1482) invented a new type of pottery, using clay from the Arno River that flows through the City and applying a secret glaze. The della Robbia pottery was immediately popular everywhere in Italy, and the workshop produced reliefs for churches, palaces, and homes. They maintained the secret of their glaze of lead, tin, and silica to create the white and rich blue sculptures. Sometimes the works included multicolored fruit and flowers. The glaze coating gave the terra cotta a protective coat for outdoor display.

Andrea della Robbia depicted the Madonna and child as loving, but solemn. Mary contemplates her son’s future. The Christ child holds on to her finger for comfort, perhaps contemplating what lies ahead. Two cherubim, with baby faces and four wings, are placed in the blue sky. They are among the highest ranks of angels and guardians of God’s holiness. The frame chosen by della Robbia contains elegant gold motifs against a blue background.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Looking at the Masters: The National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

January 29, 2026 by Beverly Hall Smith Leave a Comment

The National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington DC is one of the world’s finest museums. The collection contains works from the early Italian Renaissance through contemporary art. Masterpieces in the NGA will be the subject of a series of articles during 2026.

The NGA collection of early Renaissance art is one of the best in the world. Here are some examples.

“Enthroned Madonna and Child” (1260-80)

“Enthroned Madonna and Child” (1260-80) (32’’x20’’), one of the oldest paintings in the museum, is an excellent example of the Byzantine style. The subject is the Hodegetria Madonna ”one who shows the way.” Mary looks at, points to, and presents her son, and the Christ child raises his hand in blessing. The image is believed to be similar to a painting of Mary and the Christ child attributed to St Luke. They are seated on a gilded wood throne that is set in a golden heavenly space and surrounded by archangels. Byzantine images of Mary were called Theotokos (Mother of God). The Byzantine emperors sent hundreds of these icons to Christian Europe. The icons also were exported as luxury items.

Icons were regarded as written, not painted. The icon painter went through several levels of spiritual preparation, including prayer, fasting, and meditation, because he was opening a window to Heaven. God was the true artist. The image was purposefully slanted earthward as if coming from Heaven to the viewer. The icon painter had no thought of perspective that would take the viewer into an earthly world. The bodies of the subjects were clothed with gold shot drapery in elaborate patterns. Faces and hands were repainted to appear more natural after the Italian painters began to depict physical reality.

What inspired Italian Renaissance artists to think beyond the then current Byzantine icon? The Roman Catholic Church had venerated Mary since the 3rd Century, and the Edict of Milan (313 CE) permitted the worship of Mary. During the Middle Ages, Mary’s image was softened as she was accorded the role of intercessor next to Christ at the Last Judgment. New churches built in the Middle Ages were named after the Virgin Mary.

“Madonna and Child” (1290)

The NGA’s “Madonna and Child” (1290) (13.5”x10”) is thought to be by Cimabue (Cenni de Pepi, c.1240-1302). He was the first major Florentine painter to depart from the Byzantine model. In this work he maintains the Byzantine pose, but Mary’s hands hold the Christ child on her lap, not pointing to him. She appears to be looking at the viewer. The gold shot drapery is replaced by Mary’s dark blue robe with its many folds. Christ’s yellowish robe has brown folds. Gold is used sparingly on halos and in the heavenly background, perhaps as a cost saving measure. The small size of the work suggests it was a private devotional piece.

The back of the small throne, covered with black and yellow fabric and red designs, is held by two Archangels. Standing at the right side of the icon is the gray-haired and bearded St Peter, holding the gold keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. John the Baptist, with wild hair and a hair suit, stands at the left of the icon. Cimabue gave John’s face a fierce look. More natural colors for faces and hands are used, poses and proportions are more accurately depicted. Flesh tones were difficult to produce. Several layers of thin tempera paint were applied beginning with green and then covered with red. This combination of paint was used to produce a light brown color, as close to flesh as possible. As a result of many cleanings over the centuries, the greenish tinge has become more pronounced in the subjects’ flesh. Their eyes, noses, and mouths appear skewed because artists had not yet been able to create three-dimensional images.

The painted frame contains chains of white daisies. Traditionally the white daisy is a symbol of the Virgin Mary’s purity, and the “day’s eye” of faith.

“Madonna and Child” (1320-30)

“Madonna and Child” (1320-30) (24”x24’’) was painted by Giotto di Bondone (c.1267-1337). Giotto of Florence was described by his contemporary Giovonni Villani as “the most sovereign master of painting in his time, who drew all his figures and their postures according to nature.” Giorgio Vasari (1511-1547), the first art historian, wrote in Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects (1550) that Giotto invented “the great art of painting as we know it today, introducing the technique of drawing accurately from life, which had been neglected for more than two hundred years.”

A student of Cimabue, Giotto was able to achieve greater realism in his painting. Gentleness of mother and child replaces the earlier imperial image. Drapery folds naturally over their bodies. Shadows are used to define the dimensionality of faces and hands, although definition of muscle is still to be perfected. Giotto has not mastered correct perspective; the positions of the eyes, noses, and mouths are not yet correct.

Mary looks at the viewer. The Christ child looks at the rose. Mary was called the rose without thorns because of her virginity. The rose was deemed the most beautiful flower in the Garden of Eden and represented God’s love and Christ’s death in order to take away the sins of the world. Mary was believed to have had the knowledge of Christ’s destiny when he was born, as he did. In reaching toward the rose, he accepted his role.

Comparing the work of Cimabue and Giotto

Both paintings are in the Uffizi museum in Florence. Cimabue’s “Madonna and Child” (1288-1292) (12.6’x7.3’) is on the left, and Giotto’s “Madonna and Child” (1306-1310) (10.8’x6.8’) is on the right. Both were church altarpieces. Both still contain a golden background, representing the light of Heaven, but the physicality of the figures in Giotto’s work was a giant step forward in the Italian Renaissance.

“Madonna and Child with Saints Andrew, Benedict, Bernard, Catherine of Alexandria and Angels” (c.1387) (center panel)

“Madonna and Child with Saints Andrew, Benedict, Bernard, Catherine of Alexandria and Angels” (c.1387) (central panel, 81”x32”) was painted by Agnolo Gaddi (c.1350-1396). He was the son of Taddeo Gaddi, an important pupil of Giotto. Agnolo was the most popular painter in Florence until the end of the 14th Century. His work takes realism as far as it will go. Both figures look at the viewer with calm expressions. Christ holds on to Mary’s robe with one hand and wraps his arm around her neck. He is not a baby in face or body. Artists could not paint babies until the 15th Century. The belief that Christ was born all-knowing, and physically capable, was often depicted in paintings. Mary holds the child, but she does not present or support him. He stands on his own. One of Gaddi’s best achievements is the well-developed folds of her gown which define her body and give her weight.

The imperial throne continues to be used as a backdrop. Her feet are placed on steps carpeted in gold. Groups of angels kneel at her feet, and others appear at either side of her throne. The angels do not stand on the ground, but then they can levitate.

#6 “Madonna and Child with Saints Andrew, Benedict, Bernard, Catherine of Alexandria and Angels” (c.1387) (left and right panels)

The “Madonna and Child with Saint Andrew, Benedict, Bernard, Catherine of Alexandria and Angels” (left and right panels, 78”x32”) demonstrates Gaddi’s abilities to paint figures that have human proportions and mass. Robes flow realistically over their bodies. Each figure has been given a different physical description. Their faces, including the women, appear to be similar. At the left, the elderly St Andrew holds a cross and rope. He was not nailed to the cross but was bound by rope. St Benedict, the father of Western monasteries, holds the Book of St Benedict. At the right, St Bernard of Clairvaux, the Abbot of the Cistercians, holds one of his several writings that revitalized the Cistercian Order. Last is St Catherine of Alexandria, standing on the spiked wheel, symbol of her martyrdom. She holds a Martyr’s palm. Above the saints, angels in a Gothic quatrefoil offer a blessing. Above them in trefoils are Seraphim, the six-winged fiery ones. Seraphim protect the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in the trefoil over Mary’s head. The elaborate gilded frame, part of the commission, was designed by the artist and executed by his carpenters.

The thought, attention to detail, and diligence brought to the creation of the work was and remains remarkable. The next step occurred in Florence in c.1415, when architect Filippo Brunelleshi discovered a mathematical system to create a three-dimensional look on a two-dimensional surface. \

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Looking the The Masters: Gustave Courbet and Nature

January 22, 2026 by Beverly Hall Smith Leave a Comment

Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) was the leader of the French Realist painters. He was born in Ornans, a city on the first plateau of the Jura Mountains in western France and close to Switzerland. He began to paint at age 14. In 1837 he entered the College of Fine Arts and the College Royal de Besancon to study art and law. He informed his father two years later that he did not want to be a lawyer. His father agreed to support him in his study of art. Courbet moved to Paris and found a job in the studio of Steuben and Hesse. He copied paintings in the Louvre, and followed the classical style of the Academy. He returned regularly to Ornans to fish and hunt, a life-long pleasure.

Courbet received much attention in the Paris Salons with his chosen subject, the real life of ordinary French people, rather than the popular and accepted history, mythology, and religious paintings. Massive paintings such as “The Stone-Breakers” (1849) at 4.9’ x 8.5’, and “Burial at Ornans” (1849) at 10.3’ x 21.6’, the funeral of a common man, gained him a reputation for strict realism. He was famous for saying, “I have never seen an angel. Show me an angel, and I’ll paint one.”

Courbet was a socialist, politically active, and anti-authoritarian. His Realism style became popular with like-minded people and artists. He refused the nomination for the French Legion of Honor in 1870, during the regime of Napoleon III. Paris was in turmoil, Napoleon III was overthrown, and the popular Paris Commune was established in 1871. Despite the liberal ideas of the Commune, it lasted only 72 days. Courbet was appointed Director of Museums. He was blamed for the destruction of the Vendome Column, a national monument. He was jailed for six months and held responsible for restoration of the expensive monument. He fled to Switzerland, where he lived until his death.

Courbet’s realistic depiction of the ills of contemporary society got him into trouble, but his paintings of nature were praised. Scenes of winter snow were not common at the time, but his works were appreciated and sought after. “Fox in the Snow” (1861) (34”x50”) (Dallas Art Museum) was exhibited in the Paris Salon of 1861 with three other hunting scenes. All were popular. Courbet was praised for his ability to portray the texture of the fur, the intensity with which the predator attacked its prey, and the pose that would allow a quick getaway. The work was unsentimental, showing Courbet’s understanding of the ways of nature.

“Deer Taking Shelter in Winter” (1866)

“Deer Taking Shelter in Winter” (1866) (54’’x73’’) is an example of Courbet’s unique ability to create the “snow effect” in painting. He used blacks and browns for the background, which he coated with thick white and blue paint, then scraped with a palette knife and a stiff dry brush to produce the impression of frozen snow clinging to the trunks and branches of trees. His use of blue with white added just the right amount of chill to the shadowed areas.

The standing deer appears frozen in place, perhaps sensing danger. Two other deer huddle together for warmth and protection. Everything has paused, as has the viewer, in anticipation.

“Village Edge in Winter” (1868)

“Village Edge in Winter” (1868) (12’’x18’’) is a depiction of one of the small villages located in the Frenche-Comte region, Courbet’s birth place. The region includes the Jura Mountains, famous for hiking, skiing and other outdoor activities, and Burgundy wine and local cheese that Courbet enjoyed on his annual visits. The word Jura means forest.

One response to this painting was that it could be harsh and uncomfortable; the houses sit abandoned. It is a snowy scene, but the road appears well-traveled, and the houses seem sturdy. Perhaps the villagers are cozy in these houses on this snowy day.

“Winter Landscape” (1868)

“Winter Landscape” (1868) (19”x12”) does not contain people, animals, or a village. It simply is a masterful depiction of snow-covered trees. His work is not romanticized. The viewer experiences the rawness of the frozen landscape.

Courbet wanted to show the reality of the people oppressed by their government, and he did so with huge paintings. These paintings are the reason for his designation as Realist. However, his landscapes were small and intimate. Courbet didn’t paint angels, because as he said he never saw one. However, he also said, “Beauty lies in nature and reveals, once the artist has perceived it, its own expressive power.”

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years. Since retiring with her husband Kurt to Chestertown in 2014, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL. She is also an artist whose work is sometimes in exhibitions at Chestertown RiverArts and she paints sets for the Garfield Center for the Arts.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Looking at the Masters: Epiphany

January 8, 2026 by Beverly Hall Smith Leave a Comment

Epiphany was celebrated on Tuesday, January 6, this year. The King James Version of the Book of Matthew tells the story: “There came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews, for we saw his star in the east, and are come to worship him?” (2:1-2) Then “the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.” (2: 9)

The Flemish painter Rogier van der Weyden (c.1400-1464) was commissioned to paint more than one version of the Nativity story and the Adoration of the Magi.

”Nativity” (1445-50)

This van der Weyden “Nativity’’ (1445-50) (8’x4’) is a triptych with two folding wings. The center Nativity scene takes place in a stable with a thatched roof. The brick walls and classical columns reference European and Roman structures. The three windows are symbols of the Trinity. The elderly Joseph kneels and holds a single lighted candle. Angels attend the birth. A white dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit, perches on the roof beam. An ox and ass are part of the scene. At the left and in the distance, an angel appears to the shepherds.

The altarpiece is known as the Middleburg Altar and the Bladelin Altar. The new church in Middleburg was built by the commissioner of the altar, Pieter Bladelin (1410-1472), who served as treasurer for Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. Bladelin is the figure dressed in the fur-trimmed black tunic and kneeling in prayer.

The painting on the panel on the left side is a scene in which the Roman Emperor Augustus, while consulting the Tiberian Sibyl as to who was the most powerful man, saw a vision of Mary and Christ. The stain glass panels in the window include the Hapsburg double-headed eagles. Augustus, like King Philip the Good of Flanders, recognized Christ as King.

The panel on the right side contains the scene of the Magi, kneeling and looking up at the Star. Van der Weyden added the figure of the Christ child in the center of the star. The Magi are dressed in rich brocades, fur, and satins typical of Flemish dress of the time. They represent the three ages of man.

Magi, the old Persian name for the priests of Zoroaster, meant they were not kings, but wise men with knowledge of astronomy, medicine, and divination. They were gentiles. They brought three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and therefore were numbered as three. The names Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar first appeared in the 6th Century CE. By the 12th Century they represented the three ages of man. In the 15th Century, wider trade led to their being thought of as travelers from Europe, Asia, and Africa. Eventually Melchior was depicted as old, Balthasar as African and middle aged, and Caspar as European and the youngest.

“The Three Kings Altar’’ (1450-56)

“The Three Kings Altar’’ (1450-56) (54’’x60’’) was painted near the end of van der Weyden’s life for the Church of St Columba in Cologne. The stable has no walls and is in disrepair. The thatched roof is in shambles. One interesting addition is the small crucifix hung on the central stone column. It forecasts what was to come. The Gospel of Matthew describes the event: “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.” Melchior, having removed his hat, kneels at Mary’s side, holding the Christ child’s feet and kissing his hand as if he were a King. Balthasar, not represented as an African, holds a gold container of frankincense and begins to kneel. Caspar removes his hat and waits his turn. All are lavishly dressed. Joseph, holding his cane, looks on from the left. The three-legged stool, symbol of the Trinity, perhaps holds the gift of gold from Melchior. Behind Joseph, the donor kneels outside the stable, rosary in hand. The ox and the ass look on. The panoramic scene set behind the stable presumably represents Cologne. A number of citizens already have reached the stable. Many others walk down a distant path to the stable.

The left panel contains a scene of the beginning of the Christmas story, the annunciation to Mary. The right panel contains a scene of Mary and Joseph taking Christ to the temple to be blessed. As was the custom, they bring with them a basket containing two doves that will be offered to buy back their son.

The Venerable Bede (673-735) described the gifts Christ was given as both practical and symbolic. Gold represented His royalty; frankincense, used in religious services, His divinity; and myrrh, used in burials, His mortality. In the 12th Century, St Bernard suggested a more practical reason for each gift. Gold would be useful for their life in Egypt, frankincense would help with the smells of the stable, myrrh that would drive out worms.

Shrine of the Three Kings (1180-1225)

Shrine of the Three Kings (1180-1225) (43” wide x 60” high x 87” long) is a reliquary that holds the bones of the Three Wise Men created by Nicholas of Verdun (c.1130-1205), a Mosan goldsmith, metalworker, and enamellist. The shrine is placed behind the high altar of the Cathedral of Cologne. Nicholas was from Verdun, France, on the Meuse River. Mosan refers to the architecture, sculpture, stone carving, metal work, and manuscript style of the first golden age of Netherlands art.

The bones of the Magi were found by Empress Helena, mother of Constantine I, and she brought them to Constantinople. In 314 she gave them to Bishop Eustorgius of Milan. Helena was known to have found many relics. The city of Milan was conquered by Cologne, and the bones were taken there as spoils of war. Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV gave the three crowns of the Magi to Cologne and donated material to complete the shrine.

Shrine of the Three Kings (close view)

Nicholas constructed the shrine in the shape of a basilica covered with gold and silver. It is decorated with seventy-four high-relief figures that represent the prophets, apostles, evangelists, and the Three Kings. Scenes include the Adoration of the Magi, Mary Enthroned with Christ, Baptism of Christ, and the Last Judgment. Filigree designs, enamels, and more than 1000 jewels and beads decorate the exterior. The shrine holds the skulls of the Magi, wearing their crowns, and their bones. The Shrine was considered so magnificent and important that the cathedral was rebuilt in 1248 to be worthy of it.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Looking at the Masters: The Feast of Stephen

January 1, 2026 by Beverly Hall Smith Leave a Comment

The Feast of Stephen occurs each year on December 26. The feast day may be familiar; it is mentioned in the carol “Good King Wenceslas” (1853). There was in fact a St Stephen and a good King Wenceslas. Boxing Day also is on December 26.

“St Stephen Martyrdom” (1324)

St Stephen (c. 5-36 CE) was one of the seven deacons of the early Christian church in Jerusalem. He was known for caring for poor, often forgotten people by giving them gifts of food and other necessities. He was a Hellenistic Jew, and he preached about the synagogues’ slight of Hellenistic Jews and favor toward Hebrew Jews. The Sanhedrin, the supreme legislative and judicial council in ancient Israel, accused Stephen of blasphemy against Moses and God. “St Stephen Martyrdom” (1324) (10’’x20’’), by Bernardo Daddi (c.1290-1348) of Florence, is one of eight panels from an altarpiece in the church of Santa Croce. On the left side of the panel is a depiction of the trial before the Sanhedrin. St Stephen prays as he is found guilty. On the right side is a depiction of his stoning. He is acknowledged as the first Christian martyr.

Bernardo Daddi was a follower of Giotto who introduced greater realism in his painting. The human figures have more natural proportions, gestures, and expressions. His use of shadow gives them weight and mass. Fabrics drape naturally around their bodies. Their feet appear to be flat on the ground. Although faces are similar, he attempted to represent distinct individuals. His settings begin to have perspective. He attempted to paint a usable space. Although the leader of the Sanhedrin is too tall to stand up in the room, the door to the outside is tall enough to accommodate St Stephen and the others. Outside, a green lawn and a deep blue sky replace traditional solid gold as a background.

“The Martyrdom of St Stephen” (1671)

“The Martyrdom of St Stephen” (1671) (172”x109’’), by Flemish Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), offers a striking comparison between the early attempts at realism in the Early Renaissance in Italy and the full-blown realism of the 17th Century. On the left panel, Stephen preaches to the people about his concerns. He stands on the steps of a classical Roman building. Three of those around him listen intently. Perhaps the elderly figure in white with the elegant blue and gold on his robe is a member of the opposition. He listens intently, but with a hand held behind his back.

The stoning of Stephen is depicted on the central panel. Well-muscled men throw the stones with power. Stephen has begun to turn the ashen color of death. He looks up and cries out, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:54-60) Before he died Stephen forgave his persecutors. In the right corner is Saul of Tarsus, keeping the discarded robes of those stoning Stephen. This act shows his consent to the stoning. Saul would become a major persecutor of Christians until his miraculous conversion on the road to Damascus. He was known from that time as St Paul the Apostle. The right panel is a depiction of the burial of St Stephen.

“St Stephen” (1330-35)

St Stephen was depicted as a young man wearing a deacon’s dalmatic robe. “St Stephen” (1330-35) (33”x22’’) is an early image by the famous Florentine artist Giotto (c.1267-1337). Giotto tried to give Stephen a compassionate expression because he was known to be compassionate. His dalmatic is decorated with elaborately woven bands of gold embroidery. He holds a book as tribute to his faith and his teaching. Giotto attempted to depict realistically Stephen’s fingers holding the book.

The two rocks on his head are symbols of his martyrdom, one of the things all artists had trouble integrating into their paintings. Stephen is the patron saint of deacons, bricklayers, and stonemasons.

In portraits of this period, the golden background was influenced by Byzantine painting. Gold ingots were pounded into thin leaves and applied onto a layer of bole, wet red clay. It could then be incised into elaborate patterns as seen in this work.

“St Stephen” (1476)

“St Stephen” (1476) (24’’x16”), painted by Carlo Crevelli (1435-1495), was commissioned by the Dominicans in Ascoli Piceno, Marche, Italy. They believed Stephen provided an excellent example of teaching and preaching to non-believers. Cervelli was trained in Venice, painted in the elaborate and highly decorative style of Venice, and was known for his extensive use of gold. The dalmatic decorations are an example of the richness of Venetian gold embroidery. The gold would gleam in the candle light of church services. Stephen holds a palm branch, a symbol of martyrdom, also of triumph, peace, and eternal life. Waving palm branches were part of the celebration of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The stones on his head and shoulders are necessary to identify Stephen.

“Wenceslaus fleeing from his brother” (c. 1006)

Wenceslas (907-935) (Vaclav the Good) was not a king, but he was the beloved Duke of Bohemia. He was raised as a Catholic by his grandmother Ludmilla. He was known for his concern and care for widows, orphans, and even prisoners. He spread the Christian faith throughout his kingdom, much to the displeasure of his mother and brother Boleslaus the Cruel. “Wenceslaus fleeing from his brother” (1006) is an illuminated manuscript from the Gumpold Codex, commissioned in 980 CE by the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II and his wife. It is a depiction of the murder of Wenceslaus on September 28, 905 by his brother and others on his way to pray in the chapel. The final blow was delivered by his brother. In the illustration, Wenceslaus tries to escape into the chapel, but the priest closes the door. September 28 was declared his feast day and is celebrated in the Czech Republic, Bohemia, and Slovakia. Wenceslas was declared a saint by the people of Bohemia immediately after his death, and the Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, declared him be a king.

“St Wenceslas Chapel” (14th Century)

The St Wenceslas Chapel was built in the 14th Century by King Charles IV, and it is the main chapel in the Cathedral of St Vitus in Prague. His tomb and relics are decorated lavishly. Over 1,300 Bohemian gemstones set in gold decorate the lower wall. The 275 square yards of Gothic frescoes on the upper wall depict scenes of his life and the life of Christ.

“Good King Wenceslas” (1879)

John Mason Neale (1818-1866), an English Anglican priest, scholar, and hymn writer wrote the carol “Good King Wenceslas” in 1853. His scholarship included an interest in medieval literature and music. He wrote the lyrics to fit the music of the 13th Century Spring carol “The Blooming Time is Here” that he and his partner Thomas Helmore found in a Finnish song book from 1582. The carol was published first in a children’s book in 1849 and then in his “Carols for Christmastide” in 1853.

“Good King Wenceslas” (1879) is an engraving by the Brothers Dalziel. Their engraving company, founded in London in 1839, worked with such artists as Whistler, Rossetti, and Lewis Carol. The engraving was included in a hymn book published by Henry Ramsden in 1879. King Wenceslas and his page are shown trudging through the snow carrying food and aid to the poor people of Bohemia. In verse four, the page, about to collapse, says:

‘Sire, the night is darker now

And the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer.’

Wenceslas responds:

‘Mark my footsteps, good my page,
Tread thou in them boldly:

Thou shalt find the winter’s rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.’

Boxing Day, generally considered an English holiday, is also celebrated on December 26. In Victorian Britain the wealthy gave their servants the day after Christmas off to visit their families. After all they had worked hard preparing and serving the Christmas dinner. When they left, they were given a Christmas box which held food, small gifts, and money. Churches put boxes out for parishioners to leave donations for the poor. The connection between St Stephen and Boxing Day encouraged people to give gifts to those in need, as St Stephen had done.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Looking at the Masters: Christmas with Grandma Moses

December 25, 2025 by Beverly Hall Smith Leave a Comment

Christmas with Grandma Moses

Anna Mary Robertson Moses (1860-1961) began painting at age 78. Her paintings of bygone American life were discovered in 1938, and her popularity continues to this day.

“Grandma Moses” (1953)

The Time Magazine cover on December 28, 1953, featured a portrait of Grandma Moses painted by Boris Chaliapin, along with the text “Christmas is not just one day.” Her smiling face was set in front of a snowy winter landscape with a church in the background. Moses painted all the seasons of the year and hundreds of scenes of farm life in rural America where she grew up. Among her 2000 paintings are celebrations of Christmas. She once wrote, “I forget everything, everything except how things used to be.”

“Let Me Help”

Winter snow scenes were among Moses’s favorites, especially at Christmas. “Let Me Help” is a depiction of the community gathering to help cut Christmas trees for the nearby church, and perhaps for the farm house up the road. There are at least three trees down. In the left corner a horse and rider pull a cut tree into the scene. In the center foreground, two figures cut down a second tree. A third tree already has been cut and roped to a horse for transport. The scene includes gaily dressed villagers, some talking, a pair with a sled and a dog, and a pair with an axe. In the distance, a barn, snow-covered trees, an evergreen forest, and the cold winter sky complete the scene. As always, Moses painted a joyful and peaceful memory of days gone by.

”Waiting for Christmas” (1960)

Waiting for Christmas” (1960) is an unusual painting for Moses. It is a close-up view of a bedroom in which four children are all nestled together in the heavy wood bed. They are covered with a “charm” quilt made with random shapes and no pattern. These quilts were popular in the 1870s and often contained fabric from other items used in the household. Fabrics were traded among quilt makers to obtain as many different designs as possible. Three of the children are asleep, but the child with dark hair and eyes is awake, waiting for Christmas. The head board is decorated with greens. A rumpled round woven rug is on the floor. Two red stockings are hung on the small wicker chair. A spinning wheel is set in the lower left corner of the scene.

Moses typically painted landscapes, and she used bright colors everywhere. The landscape in this painting is in a frame and hangs on the wall.

“Here Comes Santa Claus” (1948)

Moses’s Christmas images became so popular they were used on Christmas cards, other greeting cards, jam jars, curtains, and postage stamps. Hallmark sold 16 million Moses Christmas cards in 1947. “Here Comes Santa Claus” (1948) (15”x23”) is one of several paintings on this theme. The full moon lights up the snowy scene. Bright stars fill the deep blue sky. Moses painted from the sky down. Tall snow-covered trees link earth and sky. Down from the sky to the cozy house comes Santa Claus in his sleigh drawn by eight reindeer. Delightful.

KRI7286740 Down the Chimney He Goes, 1960 (oil on pressed wood) by Moses, Anna Mary Robertson (Grandma Moses) (1860-1961); 40.6×60.3 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Illustration for The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore); Kallir Research Institute/© Grandma Moses Properties Co.
Please note: This photograph requires additional permission prior to use. If you wish to reproduce this image, please contact Bridgeman Images and we will manage the permission request on your behalf.

The same sky, stars, and trees are present. Moses features the roof top of the house on which Santa has parked his decorated yellow sleigh filled with packages. Some spill onto the roof. She manages to get all eight reindeer on the roof. Looking closer, the viewer can see a small section of Santa’s red suit sticking out the left chimney.

Grandma Moses was 100 years old on September 7, 1960. Governor Nelson Rockefeller declared her birthday, Grandma Moses Day. Life magazine published a photograph of her on its cover on September 19, 1960, with wishes for a happy 100th birthday.

“So Long till Next Year” (1960)

“So Long till Next Year” (1960) is a depiction of the end of the story as Santa waves to the viewer from his sleigh as he and his reindeer fly back to the North Pole. The landscape, including the trees, the house, and the sky, is repeated. This painting is one of the 25 Moses completed during the last year of her life. She would paint for five hours, and without an easel, in the kitchen or bedroom. She said, “I’ll get an inspiration and start painting: then I forget everything, everything except how things used to be and how to paint it so people will know how we used to live.”

Wishing everyone the very best of holidays.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Looking at the Masters: Edvard Munch

December 18, 2025 by Beverly Hall Smith Leave a Comment

Expressionist painter Edvard Munch (1863-1944) was born in Loten, Norway. He perhaps is best known for “The Scream” (1893), a painting that reveals his anxiety, alcoholism, and depression. He was weighed down by family members’ deaths when he was very young. Additional factors were his poor health and his father’s religious zeal and harsh discipline. As an expressionist he almost always chose emotion over realism. Munch also painted many portraits and landscapes. He spent his life in Norway, with trips to Paris and Germany.

“Winter in the Woods, Nordstrand” (1899)

This article on Munch’s lesser-known landscapes, winter settings in particular, explores a unique side of his work. By the time “Winter in the Woods, Nordstrand” (1899) (24”x 35”) (oil on cardboard) was painted, Munch had become known internationally. From 1899 through 1901, he painted several winter landscapes of the fjords at Nordstrand, south of Oslo. The setting of this piece is a dark spruce forest in the snow. No people are present, but footprints in the snow indicate that people recently had come this way. The heavy clumps of snow on the trees are fresh. The wind has not yet dislodged them. Munch used thick strokes of paint, but he let the tan cardboard show through in places. Like the Impressionists, whom he admired, he painted shadows in shades of blue. However, he also had a heavy hand with black. He was creating his personal style.

The painting, often described as melancholy, is a close-up view of the forest, the sky not included in the scene. But the sun shines across the exposed ground and causes the snow to glow. Munch depicted nature as raw and powerful with his use of broad sweeping brushstrokes. He explained, “Painting picture by picture, I followed the impressions my eye took in at heightened moments. I painted only memories, adding nothing, no details that I did not see. Hence the simplicity of the paintings, their emptiness.”

“White Night” (1901)

In winter in Norway, “polar night,” the scientific term for the phenomena, occurs when the Sun remains below the horizon. The title of the painting, “White Night” (1901) (45’’x44”), actually refers to the same phenomenon that occurs during the summer. The whiteness of the snow prevents the winter polar night from becoming completely dark. Munch painted the dark silhouette of the trees in the foreground, the snow and tree shadows in the middle ground, a tan barn with a snow-covered roof, another stand of spruce trees, and the swirling waters of the fjord and coast in the distance. The sky is sunless, but not dark. Munch’s use of black and cool blue colors produces the chill of the scene. Not at all depressing, the work is an expression of the beauty, power, and vast scope of nature’s many attitudes.

“Winter Landscape” (1901)

Munch painted numerous winter scenes, and like music, they are a theme and variations. “Winter Landscape” (1901) (32”x48”) focuses more on the field of white snow and the blue shadow cast by the spruce tree. Large red, brown, and black rocks stand out against the white snow. A row of shorter and taller trees in the distance also calls attention to the stars in the blue sky. Munch never tired of painting winter scenes

”New Snow” (1900-01)

“New Snow” (1900-01) (29’’x23’’) presents another view of a spruce forest. A wide road leads the viewer’s eye through the forest. It was well-used, but covered in fresh snow. Brown tree trunks are scattered through the forest and the spruce trees are painted fresh green. The stylized trees have just been covered by the stylized clumps of snow. Munch transformed the forest into something dreamlike, poetic, and timeless.

Munch suffered a physical and mental breakdown sometime during the period of 1908 through 1909, and he checked himself into a private sanitarium. On recovering, he declared he had become a teetotaler and a vegetarian. He returned to the town of Kragero and settled in there. He wrote, “I am now working full time, I feel, it now seems as if I am at my artistic peak. Never has my work given me so much joy.” He was honored in a Sonderbund exhibition in Copenhagen that included works by Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Picasso. Munch wrote, ”All the wildest things that have been painted in Europe are collected here–I am practically a pale classicist.”

Munch moved in 1916 to a country home in Ekely, near Oslo. The house, with a view of the city, sat on 11 acres that included an apple orchard. He built several studios. He lived a fairly isolated life and continued to paint landscapes. He nearly died during the 1919 Spanish flu epidemic. During that time, he had several exhibitions in major European cities.

“Starry Night” (1922-24)

“Starry Night” (1922-24) (47”x39”) was one of the night sky series Munch painted from the top steps of his veranda. He often depicted himself as a lone shadow on the snow as he does here. Munch, the only figure in some of his paintings, is interpreted as loneliness and solitude which he preferred. He does include a view of the distant city. It is in the vastness of nature that human fragility, his own and humans in general, can be felt. There is a sense of life and time passing.

In this later style, Munch used more varied and more vivid colors. The color red carries through the work: the red of the veranda in the foreground, the red in the bridge, the red house with the white windows in the middle ground, the pink sky created by the Sun’s position below the horizon, and the reds and pinks in the stars set in the dark blue heaven. He often depicted the constellations of Jupiter or the Pleiades that intensified his sense of the celestial world.

The expressionism of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” (1889) and Munch’s “Starry Night” often have been compared. Both works are considered masterpieces.

“Winter in Kragero” (1925-31)

Munch moved to Kragero in 1908 after his nervous breakdown. He found the light and environment stimulating. He began painting urban scenes in 1909. “Winter in Kragero” (1925-31) (54”x59”) is a depiction of the city from a distance. The large yellow building at the right of the canvas is set next to the snow-covered roof of a house, neither painted in detail. A tall tree and a very slim tree stand on the diagonal slope that leads to the city. Kragero’s buildings rise up the hillside, and behind them are mountains. Although he frequently included scenes of towns in his work, these later paintings place the town at a distance.

The Nazis designated Munch’s work as “degenerate art” in 1937, seized 82 of his paintings, and sold them to raise money. The paintings were taken from German museums and Jewish collections. A lost and then found Munch work “Dance on the Beach” (1906) sold at auction in 2023 for $22 million. Munch painted until he died on January 23, 1944. He willed to the city of Oslo his artwork and his collection of texts: 1150 paintings, 17,800 prints, 4,500 watercolors and drawings, 13 sculptures, his notebooks, and the plays and poems that he had written. The writings were unavailable to the public until January 1, 2015. Munch was a major catalyst in the development of the Expressionist style that continues to be of major significance in the progress of 20th and 21st Century art.

“Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye…it also includes the inner pictures of the soul.” (Edvard Munch)

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Looking at the Masters: Our Lady of Guadelupe

December 11, 2025 by Beverly Hall Smith Leave a Comment

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the Americas. The celebration of her feast day on December 12 dates back to the 16th century. Her story can be found in several chronicles of the time. She is particularly important in Mexico, where her story originated.

Cape with image of “Virgin of Guadalupe” (1531)

On Saturday morning December 9, 1531, on Tepeyac Hill, 28 miles from Mexico City, the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego, a 57-year-old widower of Aztec ancestry. She spoke in Nahuatl, his native tongue. She told Diago to ask the bishop of Mexico, Juan de Zumarraga, to build a chapel in her honor on the place where they stood. He told the bishop of his vision, and the bishop asked for a sign from the Virgin. She appeared again to Diego and told him to gather roses, even though it was winter. He gathered the roses in his cloak (tilma) and returned with them to the bishop. When the roses tumbled from his cloak, the image of the Virgin miraculously appeared on the garment. The ‘’Image of Virgin of Guadalupe” (1531) on the cloak hangs today above the high altar of the new Basilica of Guadalupe on Tepeyac Hill. The cloak was a catalyst for the conversion of many indigenous people to Catholicism. She is the patroness of the Americas and a symbol of Mexican identity. The Basilica is one of the most visited Marian sites in the world, and the most visited Catholic church except for St Peter’s in Rome.

The crown above the cloak was placed there on October 12, 1895, during the Canonical Coronation of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The Mexican flag hangs below the cloak.

“Virgin of Guadalupe” (1691)

“Virgin of Guadalupe” (1691) (72”x49’’) (Los Angeles County Museum) was painted by Manuel de Arellano (1662-1722), a well-known artist in 17th Century Mexico. The many paintings of the Virgin of Guadalupe were intentional copies of the painting on the cloak. As a result, the image was not altered from the original, but in almost all, four scenes of Juan’s interaction with the Virgin were added to the four corners. Later artists also added elaborate borders of flowers, particularly roses, and birds. Arellano painted in the Spanish Baroque style of chiaroscuro, using a rich color palette in the border.

“Virgin of Guadalupe” (1691) (detail)

In the fourth and final part of the story, Diego holds his cloak with the roses, and kneels in the presence of the Virgin. Mexico City can be seen beneath her image, and the image of the Virgin can be seen on the edge of the cloak.

“Virgin of Guadalupe” (1698)

“Virgin of Guadalupe” (1698) (84”x37’’) was created by Miguel Gonzales. The medium is mother-of-pearl on wood, called enconchado, popular at the time. A variety of shells are placed on the painting like mosaic tiles and then covered with a glaze. Gonzales’s work repeats the traditional images, but the medium makes the work glow.

Angels hold the four corner scenes, a dove flies above Mary’s head, a unique shield sits at the Virgin’s feet, all surrounded by an elaborate floral border that includes red and gold flowers and small scenes of a ladder, palm tree, ship, lily, and fountain from Bible references. For example, Mary was believed to be the ship of salvation, as was Noah’s ark. The white lily is a symbol of Mary’s virginity. Marion iconography was abundant in Baroque paintings.

“Virgin of Guadelupe” (1698) (detail)

At the top left corner, angels guide Diego to the Virgin. At the top right, Mary appears to Diego. At the lower left, Diego goes away with a cloak full of roses. At the lower right, Diego shows the roses and the image on his cloak to the bishop.

“Virgin of Guadalupe” (1698) (detail)

The shield beneath the figure of the Virgin had both religious and political significance. The creoles of Mexico sought a symbol that would distinguish them from old Spain. The eagle and cactus became popular. Mexican myths told about the founding of the ancient Aztec capital city Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City. The solar god Huitzilopochtli told the people they would find the destination of their new home when they found an eagle on a cactus. The current Mexican flag design was adopted on September 16, 1968, but the central image is a version of the original 1821 design, and it also is found in Gonzales’s shell inlay work. Famous explorer and conquistador Hernando Cortez (1485-1547) carried a banner with the image of the Virgin when he brought down the Aztec empire in 1521.

“Virgin of Guadalupe” (1824)

“Virgin of Guadalupe” (1824) (23’’x15’’) was painted by Isidro Escamilla after the 1821 Act of Independence that formally ended Spanish reign in America. Always a popular image, the Virgin of Guadalupe became even more important as a figure whose divine help was a factor in freeing the people from Spanish rule. The part in Mary’s hair is a symbol of her virginity. She wears a cross, her hands are folded in prayer, and she wears a dark ribbon around her waist, over her womb. She is expecting a child. The Spanish word for pregnancy, encinta, means adorned with a ribbon. Her blue-green cloak represents Heaven; the reddish robe represents Earth. The stars on her robe are arranged in their position in the sky on December 12, 1531.

Her reddish gown is decorated with four-petaled jasmine flowers, a sign of the divine to the Aztecs and a symbol that the age of peace has come. A jasmine flower is placed over Mary’s womb. Mary is surrounded by the rays of the Sun. The crescent Moon under her feet is a Christian symbol of her perpetual virginity as well as of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent of the Moon. An angel supports both the Moon and the Virgin. At the bottom, the two angels hold a rose and a palm branch, and at the top, one plays a violin while the other plays a guitar. Red and blue roses adorn the sides. Escamilla used gold paint to depict the rays of the sun, to cover Mary’s gown with jasmine flowers, and to accent the roses. Her crown also is gold.

The Virgin of Guadalupe who appeared to Diego was Aztec; therefore, her complexion was traditionally painted with a greyish tint. Her connection with Aztec culture and Roman Catholicism continues to be strong. Twenty-five popes have honored her, and Pope John Paul II visited her shrine four times. On his third visit in 1999, he declared December 12 the Liturgical Holy Day for the whole continent. Juan Diego was canonized by John Paul II on July 31, 2002.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Sections

More