It is a whirlwind jump to DC, but one of my main reasons for coming this year was also to see the exhibition of Vermeer and other Dutch genre painters at the National Gallery. It did not disappoint.
His paintings are on the small side, but they have great details.
We didn’t have a lot of time in the gallery after the extensive exhibit, but there was a space for some of the great Medieval pieces.
Here is one with a Christological Goldfinch but… differently. The Christ Child has not yet grabbed hold of the critter, which is being offered by an angel.
The goldfinch in these paintings is a symbol of the Passion, a foreshadowing. The European Goldfinch has a spray of red feathers on its head. Legend says that the finch tried to give comfort to the Lord on the Cross by pulling thorns from His head. In doing so, the finch’s head was colored with the Lord’s Blood, which remained ever after.
NB: The little Lord holds in his little hand a pomegranate, a symbol of the resurrection!
I like to think that this angel is the angel of the Passion that came to comfort Christ in the garden before His betrayal.
The Capitol Building is all spiffed up and clean.
In the evening, supper with friends.
Which drink is mine?
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Thank you for the story behind the Christological Goldfinch. I hadn’t heard it before, in spite of numerous references on this blog.
Honestly? You call that a martini? Where is the condensation? Where is the skim of little ice chips floating on the surface? You need me to make you a proper martini.
[Okay… we can do that. You try, then I’ll try. Ice chips floating? Pffft. Watery martini.]
just a few … believe me, I know how to do it …
[Until someone shows you a better way.]
Moving to private email….