Category: Subjects for discussion

Artists of Northern Europe, Christmas, Flemish primitives, Illuminated manuscripts, Renaissance, Simon Bening, Subjects for discussion, Symbols and emblems

The Adoration of the Kings

Melanie V Taylor

This post is a day late, but here are two beautiful full page miniatures by Simon Bening of his interpreation of the Adoration of the Kings on the Feast of the Epiphany. The first is from the da Costa Hours (MS M 399) now in the Morgan Library, New York. Adoration of the Kings. (folio… Continue reading The Adoration of the Kings

Artists of Northern Europe, Christmas, Flemish primitives, Illuminated manuscripts, Original Documents, Renaissance, Simon Bening, Subjects for discussion, Symbols and emblems, Uncategorized

And there were shepherds in the fields …

Melanie V Taylor

f157verso Ms M399 the da Costa Hours (c1515); Simon Bening (1483/4 - 1561). The Morgan Library, New York. Simon Bening has chosen to depict the moment the single angel visits the shepherds as told by St Luke and St Matthew in the New Testament and has set the announcement to these humble men in a… Continue reading And there were shepherds in the fields …

Books, Guest Posts, Louis XIV, Royal Portraits, Subjects for discussion

Henriette: a Sketch of a Childhood – by Dr Jo Wilkinson

Melanie V Taylor

My grateful thanks to Dr Wilkinson for giving me the privilege of hosting this article that gives us a wonderful insight into the early life of Henriette d'Angleterre, the daughter of Charles I, and later wife of Philipe d'Orleans, brother of Louis XIV of France. Dr Wilkinson's last two books have been on Louis XIV… Continue reading Henriette: a Sketch of a Childhood – by Dr Jo Wilkinson

Illuminated manuscripts, portrait miniature, Portraiture, Renaissance, Subjects for discussion, Tudor portraiture

Monkey business at 16th century royal courts

Melanie V Taylor

In 1492 Christopher Columbus (1451 – 1506) sailed under the Spanish flag and discovered a whole new land. Six years later the Portuguese explorer, Vasco de Gama (1460 – 1524) reached India’s Malabar coast, which had been a centre of trade between Arab and far eastern merchants for at least fifteen hundred years.  Columbus’s voyage west… Continue reading Monkey business at 16th century royal courts

Baroque Artists, Exhibitions, Great Mistresses, Renaissance, Subjects for discussion, Symbols and emblems

ARTEMISIA!

Melanie V Taylor

Artemisia Gentileschi, a pioneering female artist, has gained recognition after centuries of male dominance in art history. Her work, currently exhibited in London's National Gallery, focuses on themes of female empowerment and personal struggle, particularly in her portrayal of Judith beheading Holofernes, challenging the male gaze. Gentileschi's artistry reflects resilience against sexual exploitation and societal norms.