Tag: Art Flashes
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Winslow Homer, the eye-surgeon
Zeynel A. KarciogluCharlottesville, Virginia Although the 19th Century American painter Winslow Homer has been hailed as a lover of the land because of his striking watercolors, he also had an unmatched ability of reflecting the mood of the people in his paintings.1 He accomplished these affects by using diverse water color techniques such as sanding,…
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The plague of ergotism and the grace of God
Wilson EngelGilbert, Arizona, United States Perhaps the best known and least forgettable of all Renaissance art works depicting the graphic effects of disease is Matthias Grünewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece (1506–1515), now in the Musée d’Unterlinden, Colmar.1 On the closed center portion of the altarpiece, is Grünewald’s famous portrayal of the Crucifixion in which the intensely human…
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Dr. Arrieta and Francisco Goya
William StringerLos Angeles, California, United States Francisco Goya (1746-1828) was a deaf Spanish painter who almost died of a severe, unknown illness in 1819.1 He painted this self-portrait in 1820 to illustrate the kind and attentive care provided by Dr. Arrieta.2 In Goya’s younger years as a court painter, he created light and airy scenes…
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Francisco de Goya: a portrait of illness
Trang Ngoc Diem VuRochester, Minnesota, United States Francisco de Goya’s Self-Portrait with Dr. Arrieta is a Romantic painting illustrating one of Goya’s most severe bouts of illness. The inscription beneath the scene reads, “Goya, thankful to his friend Arrieta: for the skill and care with which he saved his life during his short and dangerous…
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Dr. Pozzi at home: Gynecologist, soldier, socialite
Sally MetzlerChicago, Illinois Blessed with professional success and movie-star looks, Dr. Pozzi stands before us appearing regal in his red velvet dressing gown. He was so admired for his sartorial élan that colleagues nicknamed him “The Siren.” The artist of this masterful portrait, legendary American expatriate John Singer Sargent, presents Pozzi devoid of any professional…
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Saint Cajetan (St. Gaetano Thiene)
Sally MetzlerChicago, Illinois, United States The cupola and two towers of the Theatiner Church in Munich rise high against the backdrop of the Alps in memory of Saint Cajetan. He is the patron saint of Argentina and of the unemployed, beatified in 1629 and canonized in 1671. His feast day is celebrated on August 7.…
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Shepherd with a goiter
Sally MetzlerChicago, Illinois, United States This beautiful scene of the Nativity by Moretto da Brescia (c. 1498-1554) in the Santa Giulia Museum of his native town is painted in muted autumnal colors of gold, browns, and greens. On the right the ox and the ass peer out from the stable. A flock of sheep grazing…
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Saint kills parents, erects hospital, and shares bed with a leper
Sally MetzlerChicago, Illinois, United States The Italian Renaissance artist Franciabigio has illustrated a horrendous crime of passion (fig. 1). He depicted the moment when Saint Julian, consumed with false jealously, killed his parents—by mistake! A disguised devil had told Julian that his wife was in bed with a lover, but in fact the couple were…
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Saint Sebastian nursed by Saint Irene
Sally MetzlerChicago, Illinois, United States She wears neither latex gloves nor mask, yet Saint Irene performs surgery of the most epic kind, shown here pulling a deadly arrow from the thigh of Saint Sebastian. He was a Roman soldier who incurred the wrath of Emperor Diocletian for protecting Christian martyrs. She, the surgeon-nurse, was a…