Janne Colijns was the prioress of the Augustinian Order of Onze Lieve Vrouw ter Rosen gheplant in Jericho, Brussels. She performed this role from 26 June 1482 until her death on 30 April 1491. It is difficult to establish whether she herself commisioned her epitaph or her companions did so. It was probably hung near…
This is a roundel – a small round-shaped stained glass. Unlike a typical one, consisting of many colored pieces of glass connected by a lead frame, this one is painted in two colors on a transparent surface. Its size depended on the technical capabilities of the glazier – making a smooth, uniform round pane of…
Today, not much from me. I wanted to share the words of a poet, who described his perceiving of the paintings of the old masters. Close to mine. As an illustration, I am showing the Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, currently considered a repetition of Pieter Bruegel’s composition. Which means that however there is…
Until recently that painting by Sandro Botticelli has been for me a puzzle difficult to solve. The title, “Calumny of Apelles”, clearly indicates the allegorical meaning of the composition. Where, however, is the personification of the title Calumny? Until now, it seemed to me that she was the woman dressed in black. Ugly, old, looking…
Giotto di Bondone is considered to be a reformer of art, the one who once again has introduced in painting the idea of imitating nature. He was active at the very beginning of the thirteenth century, in the Middle Ages. However, his works are composed according to the rules that will develop in the Renaissance…
When summer arrives, the scent of warm grass rises in the air and lushy green leaves sway in the wind, I like to look at Friedrich’s paintings. They offer me what I am looking for in contact with nature. Silence, rest and unhurried contemplation of the world. Everything that the city refuses me on hot…
For a long time I did not know what to think about this painting. I was annoyed by its pompousness, disturbed logic of shots from barrels placed near the hearts of convicts and their vaguely depicted faces. At the same time I liked the way of presenting the platoon: the uniforms, the rhythm of the…
This painting has recently aroused controversy on an international scale. The German party Alternative für Deutschland used it in its campaign before the elections to the European Parliament. The fragment of the image was placed on the posters and marked with the slogan: “Let Europe not become Eurabia!”. This sparked the opposition of the owner…
How do you think what this object was made of? To make it a bit easier, this is an Aztec shield made at the beginning of the 16th century. The colorful creature is identified as a coyote, a guardian animal of Aztec warriors. Others believe that this is the representation of the Ahuitzotla aquatic monster….
The pilgrim and secular badges found by archaeologists unexpectedly teach us how the symbols associated with sexuality were perceived in the late Middle Ages. The secular badges confront us with the aspect of everyday life, which until now remained largely unknown. The written sources were silent about them, and the objects themselves were preserved in…