Merry Christmas
Posted by Anonymous | | Posted On Tuesday, December 25, 2007 at 3:40 AM
It's rather easy to get art in the spirit of Christmas, so I decided to show one of my favorite and obscure nativity scenes.
- El Greco
This painting, made in the early 1600's, is the work of El Greco, a nickname which easily translates into "The Greek." A Spanish Renaissance painte, El Greco's works are incredibly distinct due to the way he makes all of his figures elongated and stretched, often to represent intensity in emotion. This painting, The Adoration of the Shepherds, was one of his last paintings, and one of my favorites. The scene depicts the shepherds coming to look upon the newly born child. Unlike many paintings which show this moment as sacred, hushed, and static, El Greco's version is extremely dynamic and energetic. The child Christ is radiating with a white light which fills the whole canvas. One of the men seems taken aback by the power of the moment and baby, pulling back from the frame. The other shepherds look less effected, but still quite moved. There seems to be some sort of dance going on, some sort of worship which is brought upon by this great moment. All of the characters seem full of wonder and joy, looking at the infant emitting a miraculous light. In fact, angels take up the top half of the picture, also in celebration and adoration.
Imagine the power that these moments must have had. We easily put them into plays and nativity scenes, but the miracle was something which was truly unforgettable. To be there would have been one of the greatest honors and ecstatic moments of all time.
- El Greco
This painting, made in the early 1600's, is the work of El Greco, a nickname which easily translates into "The Greek." A Spanish Renaissance painte, El Greco's works are incredibly distinct due to the way he makes all of his figures elongated and stretched, often to represent intensity in emotion. This painting, The Adoration of the Shepherds, was one of his last paintings, and one of my favorites. The scene depicts the shepherds coming to look upon the newly born child. Unlike many paintings which show this moment as sacred, hushed, and static, El Greco's version is extremely dynamic and energetic. The child Christ is radiating with a white light which fills the whole canvas. One of the men seems taken aback by the power of the moment and baby, pulling back from the frame. The other shepherds look less effected, but still quite moved. There seems to be some sort of dance going on, some sort of worship which is brought upon by this great moment. All of the characters seem full of wonder and joy, looking at the infant emitting a miraculous light. In fact, angels take up the top half of the picture, also in celebration and adoration.
Imagine the power that these moments must have had. We easily put them into plays and nativity scenes, but the miracle was something which was truly unforgettable. To be there would have been one of the greatest honors and ecstatic moments of all time.
