LIFE AS MYTH
JOURNAL
JOURNAL 2014
The poetics of grace
On shells and nests
SPRING 2014
The sun, the moon, and the stars
LIFEWORKS
ATLAS
SPRING 2014
THE MESSENGER
The annunciation. Fra Angelico. 1430. Museo Diocesano, Cortona. (below) The history of the true cross (annunciation panel), Piero della Francesca.
Matins [Latin matutinus, of the morning] is the longest and most complex of the daily services. It is traditionally observed before sunrise and is the last of the four night watches [Compline, Vespers, Midnight Office].
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
Luke 1:28 - 32 [KJV]The story of the annunciation describes the visitation of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. In this story, the angel is sent by God to Nazareth to give Mary the news of the impending virgin birth. The annunciation is a popular motif in Christian art and is associated with the office of Matins in The little office of the blessed Virgin Mary.
THE HISTORY OF THE TRUE CROSS is a series of murals in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo painted by Piero della Francesca. It is his largest and arguably his finest work, displaying his mastery of perspective, color and composition.
The thematic source is the tree from the Garden of Eden which later becomes the wood for the cross of the crucifixion. Francesca's cycle is exceptional for many reasons. For example, the series includes a depiction of the annunciation, an event not traditionally associated with this series.
The introduction of the annunciation into this series on "The true cross" is a pairing found in the mirroring of visual compositions between paintings of the Madonna and Child and the Pieta.
