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| ANGELICO, Fra Transfiguration (Cell 6) 1440-42 Convento di San Marco, Florence Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. (Luke 9:28-36)  | ||
| UNKNOWN ICON PAINTER, Cretan Transfiguration of Christ c. 1550 Ikonen-Museum, Recklinghausen |
O God, who on the holy mount revealed to chosen witnesses your well-beloved Son, wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistening: Mercifully grant that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may by faith behold the King in his beauty; who with you, O Father, and you, O Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
When I looked on the Web Gallery of Art to find an image of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, the first to come up was Fra Anglelico's lovely fresco painted on a cell wall at the monastery of San Marco in Florence. Although I knew I would probably end up choosing the Fra Angelico, I looked through all the paintings, and many of them were lovely, but I settled on the good friar's. I've seen the fresco with my own eyes, which also makes me partial. However, near the end of my search, I came upon the beautiful icon by an unknown writer of icons, and I knew I had to have it, so here are two beauties for your contemplation and enjoyment
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Images from the Web Gallery of Art.
The Fra Angelico is a lovely, compelling work; never saw it before, thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteRuss, I agree. Each cell in the Convento di San Marco has a fresco painted on the wall for meditative purposes. The Transfiguration is one of the larger cell paintings. Some frescoes are quite small. When I visited the monastery, which housed both Fra Angelico and Savonarola, and included a cell for Cosimo de' Medici for retreats, I felt as though I was catching a glimpse of heaven. The monastery is filled with paintings by Fra Angelico, both hanging on the walls and painted on the walls of Jesus, angels, and saints.
DeleteMmm, sounds wonderful.
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