Monday, February 22, 2021

Praying the Angelus with Art: This Week's Annunciation

This is a detail from an Ethiopian diptych of the life of the Virgin Mary, from the Annunciation to her Dormition (Assumption).

Mary, who is seated on a three-legged stool, is busily at work making thread. Gabriel appears at her right side with the message, while the Holy Spirit comes down in a white cloud. On the other side (Mary's upraised arm creating a nice division between two scenes), we find the very next story in the Gospel narrative, with Mary visiting her kinswoman Elizabeth.

As is traditional in Eastern icons, Mary is wearing a red dress, symbolic of her human nature, while she is enfolded in heavenly grace (blue). 


See the full two-page spread from the 17th century in great detail at the website of the National Museum of African Art.

Monday, February 15, 2021

Monday, February 8, 2021

Praying the Angelus with Art: This Week's Image

Continuing with Annunciations for Black History Month, from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, here is the study for Henry Ossawa Tanner's brilliant 1898 Annunciation (featured several years ago on The Angelus Project):


Compare the study to the finished work:



Monday, February 1, 2021

Praying the Angelus with Art: This Week's Image

For the beginning of Black History Month, an 1937 Annunciation by Boston artist, Allan Crite (†2007). Learn more about Crite and his work at the Smithsonian American Art Museum website.

About the Angelus Project

We rightly admire Muslim neighbors and co-workers who put everything on hold five times a day in answer to the "call to prayer." But Christians have a call to prayer, too! It is the Angelus. Morning, noon and evening we are invited to pause and reaffirm our faith in the Incarnation: The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (Jn. 1:14), because "God so loved the world that he sent his only Son" (Jn. 3:16).
The Angelus Project is a personal project of Sister Anne Flanagan, FSP, a Daughter of St Paul. Find out more about the media ministry of the Daughters of St Paul at DaughtersofStPaul.com.

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