Art for me, you, him

Author: Francoise Barb-Gall

Translator: Fateme Kavandi

Publication: Comment

The world of painting is still quite intimidating. Even answering someone's basic questions in words requires a lot of precision. It's hard to accept the fact that you don't think of a painting that might have inspired someone else. This book has changed the traditional way of dealing with art as its title. Instead of providing theoretical information about the period in which the work was created, the context of the work, the artist, the subject of the work, etc., the readers see their own image first. This is the starting point.

Anyone can use this book in any way to satisfy their curiosity or according to their need. Depending on your time or mood, you may think that the content is too short, or that a paragraph is enough to get the point across.

If at the end you felt that everything you read was not so complicated and incomprehensible, it turns out that this book has fulfilled its mission well.

Annunciation/ Fra Angelico/ 1430-1430 AD/ Tempera (glaze paint) on wood/ 194 x 194 cm/ Prado Museum, Madrid/ Page 64 of the book

On page 65 of the book, we read about the painting of the Annunciation byFra Angelico:

An angel is bowing to a young woman

Gabriel did not see that Maryam had come to tell him that she would have a child. And he explains to Maryam that this child will be the son of God and his name will be Jesus. Gabriel respectfully congratulates him while placing his hands in front of his chest, while Maryam is sitting in a posture similar to Gabriel's and is slightly bent. This scene is described in the Bible according to Luke (in the New Testament), and its name is "Annunciation".

Why isn't Mary surprised to see an angel in front of her?

In fact, we are the only ones who see the angel. By showing the angel, the painter tried to make the story clearer for us, but in the real world, Mary cannot see him and only hears his voice. It is true that she might have been surprised or even screamed, but Fra Angelico preferred to focus on her composure. she is calm and listens carefully to what the angel has come to tell her.

Fereshte and Maryam both have pink clothes and golden hair.

Both of them are shown with the same color because they are in perfect harmony with each other. They understand each other perfectly. Their hair is as bright as the sun. Their cheeks are also pink; A delicate color like the skin of a newborn child.

Will the angel stay with Mary?

Not. The angel only came to deliver the message. He has not even fully entered the house and is standing at the threshold of the entrance door like a guest who does not intend to disturb or impose himself. His wings and right leg are outside the pillar: he is between two worlds and belongs to the sky. On the ground it can only be a passerby. His visit lasts only a few seconds.