The Notre-Dame Cathedral: it’s lasting impact since the devastating 2019 fire Since the fire of April 2019, the city of Paris has been sent in a state of turmoil trying to restore and rebuild the beauty and splendor of the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris. This grand gothic cathedral has been at the center of the city near the Seine, enveloping a rich artistic and religious history within it’s stone walls. In my first article about this richly artful, historical church,... Read more
The Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris: it’s relationship to art history and religious expression in a history “A minute afterwards he appeared upon the upper platform, still bearing the gipsy [sic] in his arms, still running wildly along, still shouting ‘Sanctuary!’ and the crowd still applauding. At last he made a third appearance on the summit of the tower of the great bell. From thence he seemed to show exultingly to the whole city the fair creature he had saved; and... Read more
The Catholic Imagination comprised of “Material Christianity” What is the Catholic imagination? Does it herald to a whimsical history of Sacred religious places, fashion, art and statues? Material religion can be a scholarly look at the societal relationship between religion and material culture. The groundwork that created the social reality of the Catholic Authority, or Papal supremacy, is a fascinating history dating back to Peter the Apostle in the 1st century. To fight injustice and poverty across the globe, the... Read more
Federico Fellini: Catholicism, fascism and fashion La Strada by Fellini is one of my favorite films. It stands out as a melancholy character study that envelops hope even as destruction conveys their end. It has an aching reach to answer deeper questions on philosophical identity and the ever-evasing fear of loneliness. Fellini’s masterful storytelling is in the silence he puts into the characters and the pauses in the scenes that seem insignificant but are actually the most telling of all.... Read more
Pop Culture: “the culture of the people” Popular culture has its roots set since the mid 19th century, with the creation of a middle class as a result of the Industrial Revolution and by the end of WWII had a huge impact on cultural and social changes in the west. The 21st century, however, has redefined pop-culture by the advancements of mass communication. The way we can indulge in mass reproductions and newer iterations of the most popular film, music,... Read more
Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum host a exhibition with social commentary on art history and modern art In a daring 2013 exhibition titled Concealed Spaces, Jose Manuel Ballester, a Spanish artist, recreates digital prints of many famous Renaissance pieces but with one key difference. This difference is extremely easy to spot: there are no people in it. No cherubic visions, not a single dancing, praying or sitting religious or mythological figure in light or shadow. The bare bones of the original... Read more
How does one actively engage in the process of recreating atmosphere, weather, nature? How can an artist have us experience the nebulous states of water, such as a waterfall or a stream? Or the way a sudden wind can extract the illusion of emotion in a sweeping motion against a silent pond? If you can feel a breeze or hear the water just by looking at something, the painting itself creates a memory in a sense. Water Lilies(1906) by Monet seems... Read more
My experience as a Jewish person in the United States When I was in elementary school, I became keenly aware of my Jewish identity in a number of ways. Some of these ways were innate, I would share my thoughts and experiences with my friends at school about holidays and things I did that were unlike their own households(like lighting the Menorah for Chanukah and no Christmas lights on the house). On one occasion in third grade(according to one of... Read more
History of Christianity in films and books My experience dipping into the whole of Christian films is limited but I am intently invested in the history of the filmography and what it has to offer. From the ever-popular and heavily critiqued God’s Not Dead(2014), to the R-rated, record breaking(in gross profits and box office) film The Passion of The Christ, Christian films have been at the source of our story-telling history at its heart… and can show us the trends... Read more
High Renaissance Art Defined The 16th century brought us many brilliant masters of this technique now known as the Renaissance period. Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo… truly brought out the best of what was likely an era of new ideas in humanism and naturalist styles. What is important to note with High Renaissance art is technique and themes. To impress a sharp and clear picture, High Renaissance was structured with visual, symmetrical, and compositional perfection. Overall, themes seemed to... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In