“THE GLORY AND THE GRIME”: My Commonweal review of the National Gallery of Art’s exhibit of Spanish painting and painted sculpture (through May 31). The review is subscribers-only for now. I’ll let you know if that changes. I will say that if you have any interest in e.g. Zurbaran, or the bloody-mindedness of Spanish Catholic art, you need to see this. It is shockingly emotional–I had to talk myself into moving around the sculptures so I could see the Virgin’s face–and, as I argue in the CW piece, intensely stylized.

Every Christian in Washington, DC and its surroundings should go see this exhibit. I note that it features statues from “working churches”–I mean, last year some of these statues were paraded through the local streets during Lent. This is Christ as alarm clock, or cell-phone alarm: Wake up. There is something more than work which you need to do.

The exhibit is free. (Are you?)