Wars and rumours of wars. Strange that so many the paintings I'm working with were painted against a backdrop of war. And most difficult of all is the realisation that most of these wars are to some extent 'religious'. That's not a new thought but making my way through four hundred years of European history has brought the point home.
A newer thought is the recognition that painters (and their clients) respond to the situation of their day, often in the context of their own Christian faith. Some of the responses are apocalyptic - Francois de Nome's 'King Asa destroying the idols' and much of William Blake's work. Other artists reassert fundamentals of faith - Carillo's 'Mass of St Gregory; Van Dyck's 'Virgin and Child. Still others refer back to the suffering of Christ - Liberale da Verona and Guido Reni. And beyond the content of the paitings, there is the style.
Despite living in difficult times, painters in these earlier times still seek to create images that are beautiful. A reflection maybe of their perception of God or even a celebration of the human capacity to look for something of value at even the worst of times.
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