Around the Web: Are You a Monarchist?

Reprinted from Tumblar House Catholic Bookstore 

By Charles A. Coulombe 

Most people asked the title question to-day would doubtless contemptuously answer “no!” Some few – very few in these United States – might answer in the affirmative. But how well do either really understand what they are denying or assenting to? Just what is a Monarchy? For that matter, what is a republic? Just as our Federal Union, Hitler’s Germany, and North Korea are all called republics, so too are Austria-Hungary, Canada, and Imperial China called Monarchies. But in both cases, what a world of difference! About the only thing you can say that most Monarchies shall have in common is the hereditary principle in choosing the Sovereign – but that is not the case to-day with either the Holy See, the Sovereign Order of Malta, or the Co-Principality of Andorra; nor, for long stretches of history, was it true for either the Holy Roman Empire or the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Continue reading

John Miniero's Outdoor Presepio: A Beloved Neapolitan Christmas Tradition in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn

Photos by New York Scugnizzo

John Miniero's annual outdoor presepio can be seen on 14th Avenue, between 79th and 80th streets in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.

Novena to the Holy Innocents

Holy Innocents, orate pro nobis

Pray novena for nine consecutive days, December 19th to December 27th, in preparation for the Feast celebrated on December 28th.

O Holy Innocents in the name of Jesus, for whom your blood was shed, pray for exploited and abused children. O Holy Innocents who, for the sake of the Christ Child your sacrifice was offered, intercede for the captive and suffering children. O Holy Innocents whose blood was sanctified by the precious blood of the Savior, preserve the purity and innocence of children and be their help and comfort. Heavenly Father, I ask that you look with great mercy upon the peril of innocent children being violated in the world and deliver them from every evil. I beg your mercy through the sacrifice of the Holy Innocents and through the sacrificial love of your beloved Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

* The accompanying photo was taken in the narthex of the Church of the Holy Innocents in New York City 

Neapolitan Presepio on View in Darby Hall at Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York

Photos courtesy of Andrew Giordano

Feast of the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Our Lady of the Expectation, ora pro nobis

O Virgo virginum, quomodo fiet istud?
Quia nec primam similem visa es nec habere sequentem.
Filiae Jerusalem, quid me admiramini?
Divinum est mysterium hoc quod cernitis.*

December 18th is the Feast of the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Holy Mother of God. With only a week left before Christmas, let us use the remaining graces of Advent wisely and meditate on Our Lady’s Maternity in preparation for the coming great Solemnity of Our Lord’s Nativity. 

In joyous celebration, we’re posting a prayer to Our Lady of the Expectation. The accompanying photo of the Annunciazione by Andrea Malinconico (Napoli 1624-1689) was taken at Museo Civico di Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino) in 2010 in Naples.

Collect

O God, Who did will that Thy Word should take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the message of the Angel, grant to us, Thy humble servants and handmaids, that we who truly believe Her to be the Mother of God may be helped by Her intercession with Thee. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

* The Great Antiphon to Our Lady

O Virgin of virgins, how shall this be?

For before you there was none like you, nor shall there be after.

Daughters of Jerusalem, why do you marvel at me?

What you behold is a divine mystery.

Observing Advent Embertide

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Even though Ember Days are no longer required by the post-Conciliar Church, the faithful should still observe these penitential days of devotion for spiritual enrichment, inner renewal, and as a means of reparation for our sins. A corruption of the Latin Quatuor Tempora, which means “four times,” Ember Days are three days of prayer, fasting and charity set aside four times a year to give thanks to God for the fruits of the earth, to practice abstemiousness, and almsgiving.

The quarterly observances, which correspond to the changing seasons, are kept on the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday following the Feast of St. Lucy in Winter (Advent Embertide); the week after Ash Wednesday in Spring (Lenten Embertide); after Pentecost Sunday in Summer (Whit Embertide); and after the third Sunday in September in Autumn (Michaelmas Embertide).

An ancient tradition, Ember days are believed to have arisen from the early Church’s sanctifying of the old Roman agricultural festivals of sowing and harvesting (i.e. the feriae sementivae, feriae messis, and feriae vindimiales). Though probably older, the Liber Pontificalis (Book of Popes) ascribes a law ordering the fast to Pope Callixtus, who died in 222. In addition to focussing on God’s gifts of nature, they are traditionally popular days for the Rite of Ordination of priests and prayers for the poor and forgotten Souls in Purgatory. Due to the fertility aspects, Ember Days are also ideal for married couples to pray for lots of children and their safe delivery.

In celebration, I’m posting the anthem and prayer for Embertide from Blessed Be God: A Complete Catholic Prayer Book by Very Rev. Charles J. Callan, OP., S.T.M. and Very Rev. John A. McHugh, OP., S.T.M (Preserving Christian Publications, 2010). The accompanying photo of the Holy Family by Salvatore di Franco was taken at the Metropolitan Museum of art in New York City. Erecting presepi (Nativity scenes) is a traditional Duosiciliano Advent tradition.

A Prayer for Embertide

Ant. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all He hath done for thee.
V. Lord, Thou hast been our refuge.
R. From generation to generation. 

Let us Pray
Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that as year by year we devoutly keep these holy observances, we may be pleasing to Thee both in body and soul. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena to Santo Stefano

Santo Stefano, ora pro nobis

Pray novena for nine consecutive days, December 17th to December 25th (Feast celebrated on December 26th)

O glorious St. Stephen, first Martyr for the Faith, filled with compassion for those who invoke you, with love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my troubles. I kneel at your feet and humbly beg you to take my present need under your special protection (Mention your request here…) Vouchsafe to recommend it to our Lord Jesus. Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted. Above all, obtain for me the grace to one day meet God face to face, and with you and Mary and all the angels and saints praise Him through all eternity. O most powerful Saint Stephen, Deacon and martyr, do not let me lose my soul, but obtain for me the grace of winning my way to heaven, forever and ever. Saint Stephen, pray for us. 

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

* The accompanying photo was taken at Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary and Saint Stephen's Church in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Evviva Santo Stefano! 

Celebrating Gaudete Sunday

In celebration, flowers adorned the high altar
Photos by New York Scugnizzo and Andrew Giordano

Gaudéte in Dómino semper: iterum dico, gaudéte. Modéstia vestra nota sit ómnibus hominibus: Dóminus enim prope est. Nihil sollíciti sitis: sed in omni oratióne petitiónes vestræ innotéscant apud Deum. Psalm 84. 2 Benedíxisti Dómine terram tuam: avertísti captivitátem Jacob. V. Glória Patri. Gaudéte in Dómino semper.1

The high altar and famed Crucifixion
mural by Constantino Brumidi

Sunday morning, members of the Fratelli della Santa Fede (Brothers of the Holy Faith) gathered at the packed Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents (128 West 37th St.) in Manhattan for the third Sunday of Advent. Also called Gaudete Sunday, after the first word of the Introit, which means “Rejoice,” the Mass was a joyous celebration in anticipation of the threefold coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ within the otherwise austere season of Advent.

Arriving early, we attended both the 9:00am Tridentine Low Mass celebrated by our Pastor, Fr. James Miara, and the 10:30am Tridentine High Mass sung by Fr. Peter Stravinskas. Instead of wearing the penitential violet, both sacred ministers (and the high altar) were vested in the more joyful rose-colored raiment.

After mingling with parishioners at coffee hour, my Sanfedisti brethren and I returned to Brooklyn and broke our fast with a celebratory luncheon at Joe’s of Avenue U (287 Avenue U). Curiously, since we’ve all been abstaining from meat every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, none of us ordered a meat dish, even though it was permissible. Meat or not, we each enjoyed our hearty Sicilian victuals. It was a terrific ending to our faith-filled weekend.2 

~ Giovanni di Napoli, December 16th, Feast of St. Adelaide of Burgundy

Mista polpo e calamari

Insalata di patate e fagiolini

Giardiniera

Bucatini con cavolfiore alla palermitana

Spaghetti al nero di seppia

Cassata Siciliana

Cuccia al cioccolato

Notes:
(1) Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say, rejoice. Let your modesty be known to all men: The Lord is nigh. Be nothing solicitous: but in every thing by prayer let your petitions be made known to God. Psalm 84. 2 Lord, Thou hast blessed Thy land: Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. V. Glory be to the Father. Rejoice in the Lord ~ Introit Philippians 4. 4-6

(2) On Friday we attended the pre-dawn Rorate Cæli Mass on the Feast of St. Lucy; and on Saturday we participated in the Mass and Public Rosary Rally for Christmas in Herald Square.

Photo of the Week: Outdoor Wall Shrine to Santa Lucia di Siracusa in Salerno

Photo courtesy of Andrew Giordano

Public Rosary Rally for Christmas in NYC

Fr. Miara led us in prayer amid the din and tumult of Herald Square
Photos courtesy of Andrew Giordano

Saturday, December 14th — With secular Christmas in full swing, members of the Fratelli della Santa Fede (Brothers of the Holy Faith) joined Fr. James Miara and twenty other parishioners of the Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents (128 West 37th St.) for a Public Rosary Rally outside of Macy’s department store in Midtown Manhattan. A friendly reminder of what the Season is really all about, we processed the statue of Our Lady of Fatima through a throng of shoppers (and inebriated youths dressed like Santa Claus) and prayed fifteen decades of the Holy Rosary.

While most people just ignored us and went on their merry way, more than a few passersby took a break from the hustle and bustle and joined us in prayer.

Praying for almost an hour, we headed back to church and celebrated Low Mass in the Extraordinary Form. Returning the statue of Our Lady to her shrine, the congregation prayed an additional Rosary as well as the intercessory prayers to Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Fatima. Because it was the feast of Sant’Agnello di Napoli, we Sanfedisti also offered prayers to the glorious miracle worker and co-patron of Naples. Afterward, there was confession and the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Evviva Sant’Agnello!

~ Giovanni di Napoli, Feast of Sant’Agnello di Napoli

Heading back to Holy Innocents, we prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet

Rorate Cæli Mass on the Feast of Santa Lucia

Parishioners held candles during Mass
Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Roráte, cælí, désuper, et nubes pluant justum, aperiátur terra, et gérminet Salvatórem.*

The Mass is lit only by candlelight

Before dawn Friday, members of the Fratelli della Santa Fede (Brothers of the Holy Faith) joined some seventy parishioners at the Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents (128 West 37th St.) in Manhattan for the Rorate Cæli Mass. A traditional Advent devotion, the church was illumined only by candlelight, lending an atmospheric setting as the faithful honor the Blessed Virgin Mary and prepare for the coming Light of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Low Mass in the Extraordinary Form was celebrated by our Pastor, Fr. James Miara. Seeing as it was a votive Mass in honor of Our Lady, Fr. Miara wore white sacred vestments instead of the violet customarily used during the penitential seasons of Lent and Advent.

After Mass, as the others set off for work, the shops or some other destination, I hung back a while near the statue of Santa Lucia di Siracusa. Paying homage to our glorious patroness on her feast day, I lit a candle, prayed for the poor and forgotten Souls of Purgatory, and offered thanks for graces received through her miraculous intercession. Evviva Santa Lucia!

~ Giovanni di Napoli, December 13th, Feast of Santa Lucia

* Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Savior. ~ The first words of the Introit, which are from Isaiah 45:8

The tenebrous high altar

Santa Lucia, prega per noi

Last Knight Revisited

Equestrian knights in full plate on display in the Arms and Armor Court
Photos by New York Scugnizzo

Meant to post this sooner, but like they say, better late than never. Due to the positive response we received for our Advent Sunday at the Met post, we decided to share a few additional photos from the Sanfedisti's recent visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's (1000 Fifth Avenue, New York City) Arms and Amor Court, Medieval Sculpture Hall, and Renaissance of Etching and Last Knight exhibits.

Byzantine double-headed eagle altar cloth or podea,
multicolored silk and silver thread, late 1300s 

(L) St. Michael, Limestone and paint, French, Touraine, ca. 1475.
(R) St. Firmin Holding His Head, Limestone & paint, French, Amiens, ca. 1225-75

Gemellion (hand basin) with Knight on Horseback,
Champlevé enamel on gilded copper, French, Limoges, ca. 1250-75

(L) Agony in the Garden (1515), etching by Albrecht Dürer, German,
1471-1528. (R) Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, German,
ca. 1525-30?, workshop or follower of Albrecht Dürer 

(L) Combination sallet and bevor of Maximilian I, South German
(Augsburg), ca. 1495. (R) Armet, South German (Augsburg), ca. 1515-20

(L) Shaffron of Maximilian I, Austrian (Innsbruck), 1513. (R) Bard Presented by Maximilian I to Henry VIII, ca. 1505, wrought by Guillem Margot

Photo of the Week: Obelisco o Guglia dell’Immacolata

The Spire of the Immaculate Virgin, Piazza Gesu Nuovo, Napoli.
Photo courtesy of Andrew Giordano

Celebrating First Friday, First Saturday, and the Second Sunday of Advent at the Church of the Holy Innocents

With her arms down, she raised her eyes to heaven and then folding her hands over her breast she said, 'I am the Immaculate Conception.'

God bless my fellow Sanfedisti(1) and friends for participating in our second quasi-retreat during Advent filled with prayer, fasting and fellowship in preparation for Christmas and the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. As always, it was a great joy to celebrate our faith and culture together.

Friday, December 6th — Celebrating First Friday and the Feast of San Nicola di Bari

Almighty, Eternal Triune God, before we implore Your servants, the holy angels, and call upon them for help, we fall on our knees and adore You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Be honored and praised for all eternity, and may all angels and men, whom You created, adore, love and serve You, O Holy, Mighty and Immortal God! ~ Excerpt from the Supplication of the Holy Angels

Our faith-filled weekend began Friday evening at the packed Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents (128 West 37th St.) in Midtown Manhattan. Following confession, Low Mass in the Extraordinary Form was celebrated by our Pastor, Fr. James Miara.

In accord with the four anonymous exorcists who requested a day of prayer and fasting in response to the rituals with the unsightly Pachamama idols in the Holy City, Holy Hour was offered in reparation for the sacrilege and heresies that took place in St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Maria in Traspontina Church, and the Vatican Gardens during the scandalous Pan-Amazon Synod.

In addition to offering prayers of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the faithful prayed for the Holy Father’s good intensions, the Supplication of the Holy Angels, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and the Most Holy Rosary.

After going the whole day without eating, we finally broke our fast with a small pizza at nearby Neapolitan Express (512 7th Ave.). Due to its touristy location we weren’t expecting much, but the pizza was surprisingly good. Still abstaining from meat, we enjoyed a simple cremini mushroom pie. Evviva San Nicola!

Saturday, December 7th — Celebrating First Saturday and the Feast of Sant’Ambrogio

O most Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—I adore thee profoundly. I offer thee the most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ—present in all the tabernacles of the world—in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners. ~ The Angels Prayer

Returning to Holy Innocents the next day for the First Saturday Devotion, Low Mass was celebrated by Fr. Miara. Naturally, in addition to making confession and receiving Holy Communion, we stayed for Holy Hour and the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in order to fulfill the requirements needed to make reparations to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Fr. Miara led us in praying the Most Holy Rosary, the Fatima Prayers(2), the Litany of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. As prescribed by Our Lady, we also meditated on the fifteen mysteries of the Holy Rosary for a quarter of an hour.

Back in Brooklyn, we enjoyed a modest, but delicious luncheon (sans meat, of course) at Joe’s of Ave. U (287 Avenue U). Tempted to order everything on the menu, we resisted and shared a few Sicilian specialties: Insalata di patate e fagiolini, Mista polpo e calamari, and Bucatini con cavolfiore alla palermitana.

While I’ve steadfastly kept my no meat on Friday abstention, I shamefully failed to do the same on Wednesdays and Saturdays. I recently realized my negligence while researching the conditions required to obtain the Sabbatine Privilege of the Brown Scapular with my newly invested friends. Having confessed my unwitting transgression, I plan on keeping those days meatless from here on out. Evviva Sant’Ambrogio!

Sunday, December 8th — Celebrating the Second Sunday of Advent and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Allelúja, allelúja. Tota pulchra es, María: et mácula originális non est in te. Allelúja. ~ Canticles 4:7(3)

A Holy Day of Obligation, Sunday morning we attended both the 9:00am Tridentine Low Mass and the 10:30am Tridentine High Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Commemoration of the Second Sunday of Advent. Fr. Miara was the celebrant at both.

Between the two Masses, we took the opportunity to pray our daily Rosary and meditate on the Glorious Mysteries. Along with praying for my sick and suffering friends and family, I made my usual prayers of thanks and praise, as well as supplications for the poor and forgotten Souls of Purgatory.

After briefly mingling with parishioners at coffee hour, we considered going to St. Finbar Church (138 Bath St.) in Bath Beach, Brooklyn to support Fr. Michael Louis Gelfant’s efforts to establish the Traditional Latin Mass there. However, as much as I wanted to celebrate a third Mass that day, I needed to spend time with family, enjoy a delicious home cooked meal, kick the ball around a bit, and play a few games of chess with a couple of upstarts trying to unseat the family’s reigning champion. Buona Festa dell'Immacolata!

~ Giovanni di Napoli, December 8th, Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Notes:
(1) The Fratelli della Santa Fede (Brothers of the Holy Faith), or Sanfedisti for short, is a private traditional Catholic men’s society (società di uomini) devoted to spiritual combat, heroic acts of charity, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Kingship of Christ. 
(2) The Pardon Prayer, the Angel’s Prayer, the Eucharistic Prayer, and the Sacrifice Prayer.
(3) Alleluia, alleluia. Thou art all fair, O Mary, and there is in thee no stain of original sin. Alleluia. ~ Canticles (Song of Solomon) 4:7

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary Immaculate, ora pro nobis

Deus, qui per immaculátam Virginis Conceptionem dignum Fílio tuo habitáculum præparásti: quæsumus; ut, qui ex morte ejúsdem Fílli tui prævísa, eam ab omni labe præservásti, nos quoque mundos ejus intercessióne ad te perveníre concédas. Per eúmdem Dóminum.

December 8th is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, commemorating Our Lady being conceived free from the stain of original sin by virtue of the merits of her son Jesus Christ. A holy day of obligation, it is also the patronal feast day of these United States of America and the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. In celebration, I'm posting a Prayer to the Immaculate Conception in Latin and English. The accompanying photo of the gilt bronze and silver statue of Virgin of the Immaculate Conception (ca. 1680), probably after a model by Lorenzo Vaccaro, was taken at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Buona Festa dell'Immacolata!

Prayer to the Immaculate Conception

O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, didst prepare a worthy dwelling for Thy Son, we beseech Thee that Thou, Who, by the death, forseen by Thee, of the same Thy Son, didst preserve her from all stain, wilt grant us also, by her intercession, to come to Thee pure in heart. Through the same.

Black Cats NYC Caught Prowling at Parkside

(L-R) Francesco D'Ambrosio, Andrew Giordano & Jason Reddish (sorry Moby)
Photos by New York Scugnizzo

Looking to blow off some steam with my buddies Thursday night, we made our way to Alphabet City in the East Village to catch the much ballyhooed Black Cats NYC show at Parkside Lounge (317 E Houston Street). In the revamped backroom, the band played a fervent set featuring material from their upcoming release “Free Cake,” as well as classics like She Got What I Need and Animal.

Mixing in a few covers, a hard rockin’ rendition of Elvis Presley’s Hard Headed Woman got the ladies dancing early on. Kicking into overdrive, they belted out So Strange, I Just Want You, and new crowd favorite, (I Wanna) Walk You Home. Making an impromptu appearance on stage with his screaming sax was Buddy Bowser of New York Dolls fame.

A few stouts warmed us up before the band took the stage 

Caving to the audience’s demands, for an encore the Cats played a few more covers, including Cry Baby by the Waldos, and Let Go and Blame it on Mom by Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers. They closed strong with a raucous version of Jim Carroll Band’s People Who Died. 

Glad to see not all of New York City has been “cleaned up.” There are still a few old Bohemian joints from my younger years left to hang out, have a drink (or two) and listen to some good ol' rock 'n' roll.

~ New York Scugnizzo

Advent Sunday at the Met

The Met's Medieval Sculpture Hall
Photos by New York Scugnizzo

After Mass on Advent Sunday, members of the Fratelli della Santa Fede (Brothers of the Holy Faith) took a quasi-retreat to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Ave.) in Manhattan to see the highly anticipated Last Knight exhibit (Gallery 899) and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche in the Medieval Sculpture Hall (305). Ages since our last visit, we also took the opportunity to peruse the Renaissance of Etching exhibit (691-693), the Rodin and European Painting Gallery (800), the Drawing and Prints Gallery (690), and the Arms and Armor Court (371).

For more pictures of the Met's Presepio click here, here, here and here

Our visit began in the Medieval Sculpture Hall on the first floor where the museum’s annual Christmas tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche were on display. Set in front of the eighteenth-century Spanish Choir screen, the towering blue spruce is decorated with an array of traditional presepi pieces created by some of Naples’ finest sculptors, including Salvatore di Franco (active 18th century) and Giuseppe Sanmartino (1720-1793). Evoking a church interior, the subdued gallery is also loaded with medieval sculptures and tapestries from Northern Europe dating from 1300 to 1500.

(L) St. Mary Magdalene, French, Champagne, Troyes, ca. 1500-1525. (R) St. Nicholas with the Three Boys in the Pickling Tub, South Netherlandish, ca. 1500

(L) St. Catherine of Alexandria, German, lower Rhine valley, ca. 1530.
(R) St. Martin of Tours, German, Swabia, 1475-1525

Passing through the European Sculptures and Decorative Arts galleries, we moved on to the nearby Arms and Armor Court. Greatly impressed by the museum’s vast collection of armor and weapons, the hall was a nice prelude to the Last Knight exhibit upstairs.

(L) Burgonet with Buffe, Italian, ca. 1555-60. (R) Equestrian knights in full plate 

Suits of medieval plate armor on display in the Arms and Armor Court

Ascending the great marble staircase, we fortuitously stumbled upon the Renaissance of Etching exhibit along the way. Featuring the prints of Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), Parmigianino (1503-1540) and others, we jumped at the chance to view the work of some of the medium’s most famed artists and took a short detour through the galleries.

Death and the Devil Surprising Two Women, ca. 1510-15,
Etching by Daniel Hopfer (German, 1471-1536)

Landscape with a Cannon, 1518, Etching by Albrecht Dürer

Marking the quincentenary of the Emperor’s death, The Last Knight: The Art, Armor, and Ambition of Maximilian I provides an extraordinary opportunity to delve into this remarkable ruler’s life and times and consider his vast artistic legacy. Boasting some 180 artifacts from institutional and private collections, the exhibition explores Kaiser Maximilian’s (1459-1519) passion for armor, statecraft, knightly valor and chivalry. Highlights include the Emperor’s field armor, a pair of his gauntlets, and a portrait of Maximilian I in Imperial Regalia by Bernhard Strigel (1460-1528). A must see, the exhibit runs through January 5, 2020.

Bard Presented by Maximilian I to Henry VIII,
ca. 1505, wrought by Guillem Margot

Armet, Austrian (Innsbruck), ca. 1515-20,
attributed to Hans Seusenhofer (1470/71-1555)

Eight reliefs from the Golden Roof (Goldenes Dachl),
ca. 1496/97-1500, design attributed to Jörg Kölderer

(L) Maximilian I in Imperial Regalia by Bernhard Strigel.
(R) Death Portrait of Maximilian I, South German or Austrian, after 1519

(L) Bianca Maria Sforza, Italian, probably 1493, by Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis. (R) Maximilian I, Italian, 1502, by Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis 

(L) Charles V in Armor and Holding a Sword, South German, ca. 1515.
(R) Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, Netherlandish, ca. 1500

Pair of Gauntlets of Maximilian I, South German (Augsburg), ca. 1490

(L) Maximillian I in the Guise of St. George, South German (Augsburg), ca. 1509/10 by Daniel Hopfer. (R) Maximilian I on Horseback, South German (Augsburg) and Netherlandish, dated 1508, printed 1518

Emperor Maximilian I from the Catalogue of the
Armory of Heroes, Austrian (Innsbruck), 1603

(L) Medal of Mary of Burgundy and Maximilian I, Netherlandish, probably 1477-80, by Giovanni Filangieri Candida (ca. 1445/50-ca. 1498/9?). (R) St. Maurice, German, ca. 1520-25, by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) and workshop

(L) Foot Combat Armor of Maximilian I by Francesco da Merate, Italian, active 1480-96. (R) Papal Presentation Sword, Italian, ca. 1510 and later

(L) St. George and the Dragon, ca. 1460-70, South German, possibly Swabian. (R) King Arthur, ca. 1891, Austrian, by Heinrich Fuss (1845-1913)

Meandering through the neighboring Rodin and European Painting Gallery, the aptly named hall is teeming with bronze, marble, and terracotta figures by the great French sculptor, Auguste Rodin (1840-1917). Accompanying the sculptures are an incredible selection of paintings dating from Rodin’s lifetime. Among my favorites are Pygmalion and Galatea (ca. 1890) by Jean-Léon Gérôme and Joan of Arc (1879) by Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848-1884). My actual favorite painting from the hall, Graziella (1878) by Jules-Joseph Lefebvre (1836-1911), was not on view.

Joan of Arc, 1878, French, Damvillers, by Jules Bastien-Lepage

(L) St. John the Baptist, modeled ca. 1878, cast ca. 1888, Auguste Rodin. (R) Marie Antoinette in a Park, ca. 1780-81, by Elizabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

Finally, before leaving we briefly stopped to admire a beautiful chalk rendering of Marie Antoinette in a Park (ca. 1780-81) by the celebrated French portraitist Elizabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842) in the Drawing and Prints Gallery.

~ Giovanni di Napoli, December 3, Feast of St. Francis Xavier