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| Allegory of the Catholic Faith by Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) |
Western art and literature represent a major part of the Catholic legacy advancing the true, the good and the beautiful. Many of those writing and painting during the Protestant Revolution expressed their Catholic beliefs in art and writing.
With my background in English literature, I'm fascinated by modern historians' research showing how Catholic Shakespeare's plays are. Claire Asquith, Joseph Pierce, Fr. Peter Milward -- all have written about the depth of Catholic truth hidden in plain sight in Shakespeare's plays. The same is true of art. What a wealth of Catholic truth there is in Vermeer's Allegory of the Catholic Faith painted near the end of his life after he converted. James Monti has a wonderful article about Vermeer and this work in the latest issue of the The Wanderer. I heartily recommend it. The painting is a catechism lesson in color with elements from the Old and New Testament, a draped table with chalice and crucifix turning one's mind toward the Mass. An apple and a serpent reminding us of the Book of Genesis and the Book of revelation. 
When I was home schooling I loved to use Catholic art to teach about the faith. This is a painting that I could have used for weeks. The woman reminds me of Mary, but according to Monti she represents Faith. In these troubling times what a powerful reminder that faith overcomes the world. Maybe one day I can see this painting in all its glory. It's at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. No telling whether it will survive the burning and destruction of the iconoclasts, but I hope it does and I hope to see it one day.
This post would have been a pleasure to read 70 years ago. But have you any idea how late it is? Antichrist is at the door and words and paintings will not save us now. “Out damned spot. Out” Who’s knocking at the door or should that be “kicking it in”? If I’m not mistaken, at the beginning of this awful year I think I read how various followers of this blog were ready and willing to defend what we must defend if we know and believe what we must defend in order to even have (Divine) hope of saving our souls. Where are the defenders of God’s Catholic Church?
ReplyDeleteThanks to the inertia of modernist Catholics myself included the vast majority of people on this earth are “going viral” in the state of original sin. Is it any wonder that so many people are acting like they are possessed? The majority will worship the beast. Already it is becoming difficult to buy anything without his mask. We are only a step or two away from his Mark.
Beware the PAC human. Pinned and Chipped.
We are certainly in very serious times, but I think that makes it even more necessary for us to surround ourselves with beauty and goodness. One of the first things an evil, totalitarian government does is to debase art, music and literature. As Goebbels said,"Let me control the media and I will turn any nation into a herd of pigs. And that is a major reason the people of our nation are becoming more and more like the Gadarene swine.
ReplyDelete"https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/why-are-google-facebook-twitter-so-bent-on-censoring-doctors-who-promote-cure-for-covid
The antichrist has come and gone, and the end will not be long now. Get rid of the immodest image. vaticancatholic.com
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