Praying the Angelus with Art: This Week's Image

 The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya has this amazing 12th century fresco, transferred from the actual walls of a church nave (body) to canvas. Above one of the arches we see the Annunciation. It could be that the upper layer of images are from the infancy narratives, while the arches may feature the passion. (That is just a conjecture on my part, since the full image available to me shows a Nativity to the left of the Annunciation.)

At first I had my doubts about this being an Annunciation, and then I saw that Mary what was working on. Spinning thread into yarn is a clear sign of Our Lady of the Annunciation!

Annunciation from frescoes of the parish church of Sant Pere de Sorpe (Alt Àneu, Pallars Sobirà)

Some of the nave frescoes of the parish church of Sant Pere de Sorpe (Alt Àneu, Pallars Sobirà)
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

Pondering the Angelus with Art

14th century fresco, Church of San Francesco, Arezzo, Italy

The city of Arezzo appears in the "Little Flowers of St Francis": it was a city plagued by civil war, but St Francis saw that the real problem was that it was teeming with demons. Rather than go there himself, he commissioned the humble Brother Sylvester to stand before the city gates and command the trouble-makers, in the name of Almighty God, to leave in the town. Needless to say, there are still bonds of loyalty to St Francis in Arezzo!

The exquisite Annunciation fresco high on the right wall of the Basilica of St Francis in Arezzo shows Mary near her "prayer corner." There is an elegant lectern holding the Word of God, but Mary seems to have stepped just outside the canopied area to receive Gabriel's message. Instead of a canopy of masonry, it will be the Holy Spirit who overshadows Mary. Prepared for the Word of God by the Word of God, she is about to answer, "Be it done to me according to your word."