I am in Detroit! I just finished giving talks on sacred art at the Detroit Institute of Arts, a great museum.
Now that I can visit a gallery, I noticed a splendid Christological Goldfinch!
Here is a painting by Benozzo Gozzoli from about 1460.
Interesting that the usual gold background is a myriad of very high angels, which the gold only suggests.
And now the star of the post…
Once you notice these guys, you see them everywhere!
Thank you Father Z for posting these gorgeous art pieces. They are something I would never get to see if you didn’t share.
“a myriad of very high angels, which the gold only suggests.
The wings too! Those angels must be Seraphim as it looks like they have 3 pairs of wings. (Gold star, gold star…)
While you are in Detroit, hopefully you will get the chance to visit with Michael Voris, and his crew.
You’ve got me hooked on the Christological Goldfinch, Father. Hopefully, you’ll find more than one in Detroit.
What is the significance of the goldfinch? It is a beautiful picture.
Not the Detroit Museum of Fine Arts, I was at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum last week
Don’t eat fried food. It angers up the blood.
Natalie,
Father mentioned in past posts the legend that a goldfinch, on the way to Calvary, assisted Our Lord by trying to pull a thorn from His head. Thus the bird has red feathers on its head, and its presence symbolizes a prefiguration of the Passion.
The DIA is a fabulous museum. Along with Henry Ford Hospital and Wayne State University it is one of the last great institutions in the Motor City. The collapse of the city into a third-world kleptocracy is sad. My wife was born at Detroit Mercy. We got our Good Friday perogies in Hamtramck. We rooted for the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. I had my first communion at St. Rita’s. I enlisted in the Air Force in Detroit. Other than the Wings, what’s left? The rot and ruin of what the hipsters think is “rust belt chic”. Oh well. Now that the Detroit chief of police has given his thumbs up to an armed citizenry, I hope you are carrying your Glock-19 while in Motown, Father.
Fr Sotelo
That is beautiful!! Thank you so much for explaining! I’ll pray for the grace to be a “spiritual goldfinch” and help Our Lord with my prayers and sacrifices.
So my older daughter spend the rest of her time at the DIA looking for Christological Goldfinches!
Thanks Father Z!
Our bible reflections group went to the DIA when the Vatican collection was touring. One of the most amazing things I saw was a miniature cathedral ,very ornate and I was circling it very slowly so as to reflect on and take in the very fine details. As soon as I got to the last side, there was the door and there inside was the finger bone of St.Francis Xavier. I had been looking at the Reliquary of the Saint.I can,t describe the feeling that came over me in that moment,only to say that it was stunning, like when I attended my first EF mass this last summer. On another note , Time to put the thistle feeders out so the returning goldfinches don’t die of hunger when they arrive.