I agree, we haven’t emulated the mastery of the Ancient Egyptian’s, Greeks and Romans. And we’re now outsourcing our creativity to AI, death by a thousand cuts.
“I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes.” - Joanna Maciejewska
The thing is there is beauty in doing laundry and dishes. I think people are being deceived by some nebulous idea of “ quality”. When I was a new mom there was a lot of talk about quality of time spent with your child how “ quality “ time could make up for the fact that you were working and had to take your child to daycare. I never bought that BS luckily I didn’t have to for sure. But it was a choice my husband and I made to live in a rented trailer and buy 50 lb bags of unclassified potatoes so I could stay home with my son
This felt like a spiritual experience in prose. The way you describe sculpture as “alchemy” — it’s dead-on. Standing before Bernini’s Proserpina or Sanmartino’s Veiled Christ really does shake your sense of reality. It’s not just about skill… it’s about presence, reverence, something almost sacred that modern tools can’t replicate.
I was blessed to be able to see Michelangelo’s David in Florence and Bernini‘s Abduction of Persapina at the Borghese Gallery in Rome. I had to go to the Borghese Gallery twice on two different trips just to see that one sculpture that transfixed me, to stare at those beautiful hands, pressing into flesh-like marble. The piece is awe-inspiring. In that same gallery is another amazing piece of sculpture by Berini, which was the abduction of the wooden nymph by Apollo. The leaves of the wood nymph so thin that they sound like glass when they are tapped. Apollo‘s sandals are breathtakingly intricate. All of this is almost impossible to fathom that these works were chiselled out of marble.
Another work in Florence by a sculpture that I can’t recall is of a woman lounging on a cushion, and again this piece of beautiful work leaves the observer gob smacked because the cushion looks so real as the woman reclines upon it and we see the fluid movement of the body on the cushion. We the observers and appreciators of such beauty are left, trying to get our fill of such beautiful pieces of work.
You touched on what makes these works a cut above what we can do now, and that is because they show a gift that could only be bestowed by God for His glory. The Church of the time was the patron of many artisans, and the Church was the one that blessed us with the works of the Michelangelo‘s and the Bernini‘s and the Raphael’s of the world. If we see the transcendent in these works, it is because the transcendent hand was upon these men, and we were gifted with a piece of heaven here to appreciate on earth.
Oh my friend you said that so perfectly. My thoughts exactly. The artists of that time were working not just for themselves or others but felt a calling from God I believe, to use the gifts He had given them for His glory. Thank you
I first fell in love with Cupids kiss when i saw this sculpture in the Louvre many years ago. I interpreted it as an angel coming for someone who was dying ( many years working for hospice). A picture of it hung in my office. Then the Vatican’s incredible sculptures and the Acropolis of Athens and the Parthenon. To see in person is life changing!
Love your post. Thank you so much. I had not seen many of these sculptures before. The very first one of the Veiled Virgin I have seen and was amazed!!! I have no explanation for why works of art years and years ago are so much more beautiful. I think though that the farther away we have grown from God the more years that have passed since the fall it is only logical that everything has become more corrupted. Think about it. Beauty Virtue Mercy Peace etc etc all the qualities of God are not revered or honored or cultivated
Such beauty! It is an interesting question - why the most truly marvellous sculptures are hundreds of years old, particularly of the human form. Although, I love the look of those pillows by Håkon Anton Fagerås! On a similar contemporary theme - i also recommend taking a look at the work of Kiwi artist Joe Sheehan - quite amazing. https://eyecontactmagazine.com/2012/09/sheehan-at-pataka-museum
I agree, we haven’t emulated the mastery of the Ancient Egyptian’s, Greeks and Romans. And we’re now outsourcing our creativity to AI, death by a thousand cuts.
“I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes.” - Joanna Maciejewska
The thing is there is beauty in doing laundry and dishes. I think people are being deceived by some nebulous idea of “ quality”. When I was a new mom there was a lot of talk about quality of time spent with your child how “ quality “ time could make up for the fact that you were working and had to take your child to daycare. I never bought that BS luckily I didn’t have to for sure. But it was a choice my husband and I made to live in a rented trailer and buy 50 lb bags of unclassified potatoes so I could stay home with my son
This felt like a spiritual experience in prose. The way you describe sculpture as “alchemy” — it’s dead-on. Standing before Bernini’s Proserpina or Sanmartino’s Veiled Christ really does shake your sense of reality. It’s not just about skill… it’s about presence, reverence, something almost sacred that modern tools can’t replicate.
Thank you so much Anton!
Exactly.
Wow, these are incredible works of art, many I had never seen before, so thank you for sharing them!
My pleasure, Sheryl! I’ll definitely write Volume 2 in the future — there’s still so much to talk about.
A really interesting, educational read. Beautiful, amazing works of art. I especially liked Cupid's wings. Looking forward to Volume II!
Thank you so much James- this has re focused my mind and day.
I was blessed to be able to see Michelangelo’s David in Florence and Bernini‘s Abduction of Persapina at the Borghese Gallery in Rome. I had to go to the Borghese Gallery twice on two different trips just to see that one sculpture that transfixed me, to stare at those beautiful hands, pressing into flesh-like marble. The piece is awe-inspiring. In that same gallery is another amazing piece of sculpture by Berini, which was the abduction of the wooden nymph by Apollo. The leaves of the wood nymph so thin that they sound like glass when they are tapped. Apollo‘s sandals are breathtakingly intricate. All of this is almost impossible to fathom that these works were chiselled out of marble.
Another work in Florence by a sculpture that I can’t recall is of a woman lounging on a cushion, and again this piece of beautiful work leaves the observer gob smacked because the cushion looks so real as the woman reclines upon it and we see the fluid movement of the body on the cushion. We the observers and appreciators of such beauty are left, trying to get our fill of such beautiful pieces of work.
You touched on what makes these works a cut above what we can do now, and that is because they show a gift that could only be bestowed by God for His glory. The Church of the time was the patron of many artisans, and the Church was the one that blessed us with the works of the Michelangelo‘s and the Bernini‘s and the Raphael’s of the world. If we see the transcendent in these works, it is because the transcendent hand was upon these men, and we were gifted with a piece of heaven here to appreciate on earth.
Oh my friend you said that so perfectly. My thoughts exactly. The artists of that time were working not just for themselves or others but felt a calling from God I believe, to use the gifts He had given them for His glory. Thank you
I first fell in love with Cupids kiss when i saw this sculpture in the Louvre many years ago. I interpreted it as an angel coming for someone who was dying ( many years working for hospice). A picture of it hung in my office. Then the Vatican’s incredible sculptures and the Acropolis of Athens and the Parthenon. To see in person is life changing!
A lovely reminder of why marble is my favorite medium 🤍
Love your post. Thank you so much. I had not seen many of these sculptures before. The very first one of the Veiled Virgin I have seen and was amazed!!! I have no explanation for why works of art years and years ago are so much more beautiful. I think though that the farther away we have grown from God the more years that have passed since the fall it is only logical that everything has become more corrupted. Think about it. Beauty Virtue Mercy Peace etc etc all the qualities of God are not revered or honored or cultivated
Thank you, Wendy Porter. I’m in nursing care and this will make for an inspiring send-off into my endless lonely night
Thank you for sharing them. Now I have to do a little research to find where each masterpiece resides and make plans to see them. 🙏
Stunning and breathtaking works!
Such beauty! It is an interesting question - why the most truly marvellous sculptures are hundreds of years old, particularly of the human form. Although, I love the look of those pillows by Håkon Anton Fagerås! On a similar contemporary theme - i also recommend taking a look at the work of Kiwi artist Joe Sheehan - quite amazing. https://eyecontactmagazine.com/2012/09/sheehan-at-pataka-museum
I like this post.
Absolutely magnificent.
I'll visit The Veiled Christ in Naples