Encounters at the Morgan (Part IV) — Art, History, and the Written Word

Clay Foundation Cylinder of King Nebuchadnezzar II with Cuneiform Inscription, Neo-Babylonian period, reign of Nebuchadnezzar II (ca. 604-562 B.C.)

No visit to the Morgan Library & Museum would be complete without spending time in J. Pierpont Morgan’s magnificent historic library. Its richly decorated interiors and remarkable holdings make it one of Manhattan’s great cultural treasures. The rotating collection spotlight offers a glimpse into centuries of artistic and intellectual achievement through rare books, manuscripts, and other objects.

I was equally impressed by A Generous Bequest, a small exhibition in the Lower Level showcasing fragments of exquisite medieval manuscripts collected by the late Roger S. Wieck, a distinguished scholar whose lifelong devotion to illuminated manuscripts helped enrich the Morgan’s holdings.

Together, these displays made for a thoroughly enjoyable visit. The Morgan remains one of my favorite places in New York, a sanctuary of art, history, and beauty amid the bustle of the city.

~ BY Giovanni di Napoli, November 12th, Feast of San Martino I

(L) Block Figure Dedicated to Amun-Ra by Thanefer, Egypt, Thirtieth Dynasty, ca. 380-340 B.C. Mottled dark gray granite. (R) Donor Presenting a Mummified Osiris (Osiriphoros), Egypt, Thebes, Twenty-Sixth Dynasty, ca. 640-600 B.C. Gray-green schist 

(L) Running Eros, holding a Torch, bronze, 2nd or 1st century B.C. Hellenistic. (R) Foundation Figure of a Kneeling God Holding a Peg, Mesopotamia, period of Gudea (ca. 2144-2124 B.C.); copper 

(L) The Virgin Adoring the Christ Child, Glazed terracotta relief, atelier of Andrea della Robbia, 1435?-1525?. (R) Virgin and Saints Adoring the Christ Child, tempera on panel, approximately 1450-1523, Perugino

(L) Bust of Christ Child, marble with nineteenth-century metal halo, 1427-1479, attributed to Antonio Rossellino. (R) Bust of a Woman, marble, approximately 1436–1504, attributed to Gregorio di Lorenzo

(L) Man Walking to Church, single leaf from a Book of Hours, in Latin, illuminated by the Master of the Lee Hours, Belgium, Bruges, ca. 1460. (R) Nativity, single leaf from a Book of Hours, in Latin, illuminated by the Egerton Master's workshop, France, Paris, ca. 1418

(L) Kissing the Paten, cutting from a Book of Hours, in Latin, illuminated by the Master of Morgan 293, France, Besançon, 1430s. (R) Chanting the Office of the Dead, single leaf from a Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of Marguerite d' Escornaix, Belgium, probably Ghent, ca. 1440s

(L) Host Desecration Tale of 1290, France, Paris, 1530s. (R) Sacred Bleeding Host of Dijon, single leaf from a Book of Hours illuminated by the Master of the Hours of Jean des Bruyères and Jeanne de Recourt (Master Regnault or Oudot Matuchet?) France, Dijon, 1530s

Sacred Bleeding Host of Dijon, historiated initial from a choir book (Gradual), illuminated by the Master of the Hours of Jean des Bruyères and Jeanne de Recourt (Master Regnault or Oudot Matuchet?) France, Dijon, ca. 1536-37

(L) Virgin and Child, leaf from "The Pichon Hours," in Latin, illuminated by the Doheny Master (of the Noël Bellemare Group), France, Paris, 1530-35. (R) Distribution of Blessed Candles, leaf from the "Missal of Guy de Baudreuil," in Latin, illuminated by Jean Pichore and his workshop, France, Paris, ca. 1520

Burial of St. Stephen, miniature from a choir book (Gradual), illuminated by Etienne Colaud (act. 1512-41), France, Paris, 1530s

Corpus Christi Procession, miniature from a choir book (Gradual), illuminated by Etienne Colaud (active 1512- 41), France, Paris, 1530s

(L) Parliament of Heaven, single leaf from a Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of Jacques de Luxembourg, France, northeast of Paris, ca. 1465. (R) St. Bernard of Clairvaux Receiving Milk from the Virgin; King David Harping; and Two Birds Fighting; single leaf from a Book of Hours illuminated by the Master of Catherine of Cleves (act. 1430-60), The Netherlands, Utrecht, ca. 1460

The Virgin Mary Weaving "Hours of Anne de Neufville," in Latin and French, illuminated by the Bedford Master (Haincelin Hagenau?) France, Paris, ca. 1430

(L) Gospel Book, in Armenian, copied by Georg, son of Mik'ayel the scribe, Turkey, Tokat, 1700. (R) Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, autograph manuscript, [September-October 1885]

Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498), Letter to Alberto Savonarola, Florence, October 28, 1495

The Ghost of Jupiter in Medieval Apulia

Limestone Head of a Bearded Man,
Possibly Jupiter, carved 1200-1300

On this Ides of November, a day once celebrated with the Epulum Jovis, a sacred banquet honoring Jupiter, we thought it fitting to share a few photographs we took of a mysterious limestone head at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Possibly representing the Roman deity, the sculpture dates to the thirteenth century and is believed to have been carved in Apulia, Southern Italy. Its classical appearance is particularly striking for a work created in the Christian Middle Ages, reflecting the lasting influence of antiquity on medieval art.

Whether depicting the ancient god, a forgotten hero, or a long-dead king, its weathered countenance evokes a distant world whose beauty and mysteries endure. ~ Giovanni

Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul at St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus Church in Briarcliff Manor, New York

Encounters at the Morgan (Part III) — Graphic Devotions: Late Medieval European Blockbooks

(L-R) Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471-1528), The Vision of the Seven Candlesticks, from The Apocalypse, 1498, woodcut, and The Four Horsemen, from The Apocalypse, 1498, woodcut

Of particular interest to me was Graphic Devotions: Late Medieval European Blockbooks, a current exhibition at the Morgan Library & Museum exploring a fascinating chapter in the history of Christian art and bookmaking.

Before movable type became the dominant means of printing, craftsmen produced illustrated volumes by carving both images and text into wooden blocks. These remarkable books brought sacred narratives, religious instruction, and devotional imagery to life through an intricate union of word and picture.

The Last Agony of the Dying Man
(from the Ars Moriendi or Art of
Dying) c. 1470/1475, woodcut with
hand-coloring on laid paper

Among the exhibition’s treasures is a rare Ars moriendi, or Art of Dying, a medieval work devoted to preparing the soul for death. Its survival and the reunion of its long-separated leaves make it especially noteworthy.

What absolutely astonished me was the inclusion of Albrecht Dürer’s The Vision of the Seven Candlesticks and The Four Horsemen, from his celebrated Apocalypse woodcut series. Both were considerably larger than I had imagined, and their extraordinary detail and dramatic power were all the more impressive in person. Reproductions in books and online simply cannot do them justice.

I have always admired the artistic and spiritual richness of medieval Christianity, and this exhibition offered a beautiful glimpse into an age when craftsmanship, faith, and artistic expression were intimately connected.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, November 11th, Feast of San Martino di Tours

Apocalypsis sancti Johannis (Apocalypse of St. John), Edition III, state B, Germany (Koblenz/ Mainz?), edition: ca. 1455- 70; this copy: ca. 1458-60, blockbook

Biblia pauperum (Bible of the poor), Edition IV, state A, German Lower Rhine, edition: ca. 1462-68; this copy: ca. 1464-68, blockbook

Speculum artis bene moriendi (Mirror of the art of dying well), Southern Germany (region of Lake Constance)/Basel, ca. 1460-62, hybrid book

Ars moriendi (Art of dying), Edition II, state A, Low Countries/Lower Rhine (Cologne?), edition: ca. 1466-69; this copy: ca. 1468-69, blockbook

Apocalypsis sancti Johannis (Apocalypse of St. John), Edition IV, issue 2, Middle Rhine and southern Germany, edition: ca. 1468- 70; this copy: ca. 1469-70, blockbook

Ars memorandi per figuras Evangelistarum (Art of memorizing through images of the Gospels), Edition III, Southern Germany, ca. 1469-70, blockbook

Ars moriendi (Art of dying), Edition I, state A, Low Countries/Lower Rhine (Cologne?), edition: ca. 1400-09; this copy: ca. 1468-69, blockbook

Attributed to Ludwig of Ulm (German, active 1450- 70). Ars moriendi (Art of dying), Edition IV, state B, Southern Germany, edition: ca. 1480-85; this copy: ca. 1480, blockbook

"Morgan Apocalypse," England, London, ca. 1255-60, manuscript on vellum

"Hours of Gabriel de Chabannes," Illuminated by the Master of the Burgundian Prelates (act. 1470-90), France, Dijon, 1480s, manuscript on vellum

Feast of San Martino I

St. Martin I in chains during his exile in Cherson

November 12th is the Feast of St. Martin I, Pope and Martyr. Born in Todi, Umbria, in the late sixth century, Martin ascended the papal throne in 649 A.D. amid bitter theological disputes between Rome and Constantinople.

A steadfast defender of Christian orthodoxy, Martin opposed Monothelitism, a heretical doctrine that taught Christ possessed only one will rather than both a divine and human will. In 649, he convened the Lateran Council in Rome, which condemned the teaching and reaffirmed the Church’s traditional doctrine.

His defiance angered Emperor Constans II, who ordered his arrest in 653. Seized in Rome, Martin was taken to Constantinople, where he was imprisoned, humiliated, and condemned on charges of treason. Although initially sentenced to death, he was eventually exiled to Cherson in Crimea, where he died in 655 after enduring severe deprivation.

Remembered as the last pope to suffer martyrdom, St. Martin I remains a symbol of unwavering faith and courage in the face of persecution. Evviva San Martino I!

In celebration of his feast, we offer this prayer:

St. Martin I, faithful servant and courageous defender of the truth, pray for us. Help us to speak and act with boldness when our faith is tested. Inspire us to endure difficulties with trust in God and to hold fast to what is true, no matter the cost. May your example strengthen us to live as faithful witnesses to Christ in our daily lives. Amen.

Spiritual Masterworks at St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in New York City

Encounters at the Morgan (Part II) — Fantasy and Reality: The Art of Johan Tobias Sergel

Self-Portrait, ca. 1772, terracotta, Johan Tobias Sergel (1740-1814)

Another unexpected pleasure of exploring the Morgan Library & Museum this past weekend was discovering the work of Swedish sculptor and draftsman Johan Tobias Sergel in Fantasy and Reality: The Art of Johan Tobias Sergel.

Henry Fuseli Conjures Fierce Witches and
Demons in Rome, ca. 1775-76, pen and
brown ink and brown and gray wash,
over black chalk, Johan Tobias Sergel

Little known outside his native Sweden, Sergel was an accomplished artist whose years in Rome deepened his appreciation of classical antiquity and profoundly influenced his sculpture. His travels also took him to Southern Italy, including Naples, Portici, and Pompeii, where the rediscovered treasures of the ancient world offered further inspiration.

Among the works that caught my attention were his Faun and studies for Diomedes, both reflecting his fascination with classical mythology and the human form. I was particularly struck by the contrast between the refinement of his sculpture and the spontaneity of his drawings. His sketches, caricatures, and self-portraits reveal a lively imagination, a sharp sense of humor, and a more intimate side of the artist.

The exhibition also featured works by artists in Sergel’s circle, including Henry Fuseli, whose dramatic, often unsettling art I have long admired. Their inclusion offered a glimpse into the creative exchanges that flourished among artists of the period.

It was a delightful introduction to a gifted artist who deserves greater recognition.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, November 10th, Feasts of Sant’Andrea Avellino, San Respicio, and Santa Ninfa

Achilles on the Shore, ca. 1774-75, terracotta, Johan Tobias Sergel

(L) Santa Susanna, ca. 1768-69, terracotta, Johan Tobias Sergel.
(R) Diomedes, ca. 1770, terracotta, Johan Tobias Sergel 

(L) Tobias and the Fish, ca. 1768-69, terracotta, Johan Tobias Sergel.
(R) River God, ca. 1773, terracotta, Johan Tobias Sergel

The Faun, 1794, marble, Johan Tobias Sergel

The Faun, ca. 1769-70, terracotta, Johan Tobias Sergel

The Faun, ca. 1778-96(?), bronze, Johan Tobias Sergel

Sophie Hagman, Ballet Dancer, 1793, plaster, Johan Tobias Sergel

(L) Viscountess Bulkeley as Hebe, 1775, pen and brown ink and brown wash over graphite, with white opaque watercolor, George Romney (1734-1802).
(R) Lady Macbeth, ca. 1774-75, pen and brown ink and brown wash, over black chalk, Henry Fuseli (1741-1825)

Centaur and Nymph, ca. 1771-72, pen and brown ink
and gray wash, over graphite, Johan Tobias Sergel

(L) Acrobats, 1779, pen and brown ink and brown wash, "Master of the Giants," probably Prince Hoare (1755-1834). (R) Study for the Head of Diomedes, ca. 1770, red chalk, Johan Tobias Sergel

Gustav III and His Entourage Climbing Vesuvius, 21 February 1784, 1784, pen and brown ink and brown wash, Johan Tobias Sergel

Death of Gaius Gracchus, 1776, pen and brown ink
and brown wash, Henry Fuseli

A Torturous Dream: Sheet 3 of the Melancholy Suite (Second Version), 1795, pen and black ink and gray wash, Johan Tobias Sergel 

Sergel on the Globe: The Artist's Vigil, While Everyone Sleeps, 1797, pen and black ink and gray wash, Nicolai Abildgaard (1742-1809)

Remembering the Fallen — A Prayer for Veterans Day

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

In honor of Veterans Day I’m posting a Prayer for Deceased Veterans. The accompanying photo of the Sixty First District Memorial was taken at Greenwood Playground, my childhood stomping ground, located at the corner of East 5th Street and Greenwood Avenue, Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn. Dedicated on November 11, 1922, the classical bronze relief by Charles Keck commemorates the 47 men of Draft Board District 61 who made the ultimate sacrifice in WWI.

Prayer for Deceased Veterans

O God, by whose mercy the faithful departed find rest, look kindly on your departed veterans who gave their lives in the service of their country. Grant that through the passion, death, and resurrection of your Son they may share in the joy of your heavenly kingdom and rejoice in you with your saints forever. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.