宋珮老師-一畫一世界（3）

As always, Dr. Sung gracefully began our class with a gentle review and thoughtful enrichment of our previous topic, “the Book of Hours,” beautifully crafted prayer books created for distinguished patrons, often someone of notable prestige. She guided us through the evolution of book styles, tracing the journey from ancient scrolls to the more refined codex, and highlighting the delicate materials—parchment, papyrus, and even wood—that artisans once used.


The Book of Hours, as we explored, was more than just a manuscript for prayer during the Middle Ages; it was a cherished companion, deeply intertwined with the rhythms of Christian devotion and everyday life. The world of manuscripts is vast. Beyond prayer, these handwritten treasures could be devoted to music, history, or even the mysteries of astronomy, each one reflecting the thoughtful spirit and creative energy of its time.


Before delving into the layers of our discussions today, we were invited to pause and reflect once more on the Artful Thinking Palette and the accompanied thinking routines. 

http://pzartfulthinking.org/?page_id=2

Dr. Sung, with her usual warmth and clarity, explained that our tasks today would be to explore the stroies woven into the painting, using the three strategies as our guide. 


The guiding questions were:
(1) What do you see? 
(2) What happened in the picture? 
(3) Where did it happen? (Was it in the real world or imaginative world?)
      When did it happen? (Dawn or Dusk?)
      What led you to that insight?


With every turn of our classmates’ thoughtful elaboration, I find myself appreciating not just the knowledge shared but the nurturing atomosphere that encourages us to reflect and connect with the artwork in a meaningful and heartfelt way.

Stories in the Painting

As we traced through the intricate details of this painting, narratives about the main characters in the foreground - their status, and surrounding environment began to unfold. ​

• Nicolas Rolin

The man holding that prayer book was the renownd Chancellor of Burgundy - Nicolas Rolin (1376-1462). The landscape in the background off his side clikely depicts his homeland and the church of his birth, Notre-Dame du Chatel Catheral in Autun. Nicolas, as a Chancellor to several Dukes of Burgundy, played a pivotal role in expanding the duchy’s wealth and military power.  His skillful administration and political acumen helped elevate Burgundy to one of the most prosperous and regions of the time. He was not born into nobility and his skillful handling of political situations earned him both priases and criticism. He started wars and built churches and hospitals. We could find him and his wife being portrayed in the altarpiece located in “Hotel of God,”  the hospital he founded.  

• Mary and the Infant Jesus

The lady awaiting her crowning by the angel with the peacock-like is likely Lady Mary. Her exquisitely jeweled mantle bears the inscription along its edge:  “O exalted cedar of Lebanon, please pray for us.” The Cedar of Lebanon is often used as a symbolic reference to Lady Mary, which leads us to speculate that the baby holding the crystal ball is the infant Jesus sitting on the throne of wisdom. In the back ground, the town flourishes with bustling crowds and grand churches adn cathedrals. While Mary and the Infant Jesus exist in an imaginative, sacred realm, the prosperous townscape offers a glimpse of Heaven itself.
 

• Symbolism

The rich details in this painting invites us to ponder the complex relationship between purity and sin, the heavenly grace and earthy medieval men. The floor tiles cut the painting into two sides, one with the Chancellor and the other with Lady Mary. On the side of Rolin, the wall relief vividly brings to life the seven deadly sins: pride, greed, wrath,  lust, envy, gluttony, and sloth.


The garment’s hues of the four characters shifts gracefully between the earthy blue and heavenly red, symbolizing the contrast between the mortal and the divine.  

• Name of the Painting

Madonna of Chancellor Rolin (1435)  by Jan van Eyck