Praxiteles
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A link to the archaeological survey which successfully recovered the the original paint scheme of the Glastonbury Galilee:
The religious art of the Beuronese school:
QUASI-ANONYOMOUS MONKS
Desiderius Lenz (1832–1923), the leading theoretician of the Beuronese school of art, enunciated a number of principles he believed were congruent with godly art. Among them were these:
• Art should be an anonymous collective effort, not for the glory of a single artist, but for the glory of God.
• Individualistic style should be minimized in favor of copying a collective style.
• The geometric sense of proportion found in ancient Egyptian paintings should be followed.
• Art and architecture should be fully integrated; painting and sculpture should not be decorative afterthoughts, but part of a preconceived architectural plan.
In the early 1860s, Lenz befriended Gabriel Wüger (1829–1892) in Vienna with whom he shared an interest in contemporary art. Shortly thereafter they joined a group of artists in Rome called the Nazarenes, noted for their unconventional manner of dress and program to revitalize Christian art. Lenz and Wüger believed that in order to make sacred art one should lead a Christian life in a community.
In 1868, they met Maurus Wolter (1825–1890), the young abbot co-founder of the Beuron Benedictine monastery in southwest Germany, who had similar artistic aspirations. At the invitation of Princess Catherine of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1817–1893), who was the patron of the monastery, Lenz and Wüger designed and constructed a chapel, the Mauruskapelle, near Beuron, which incorporated their theories about the harmonious blend of art and architecture. Wüger entered the Beuron monastery in 1870, soon followed by his disciple Lukas Steiner (1849–1906), and Lenz in 1872.
With the encouragement of Wolter, Lenz and Wüger attracted other artists to Beuron, who worked together on a number of churches in Europe. Their use of plain backgrounds, basic colors, limited use of perspective, a repetition of decoration, and a conscious neglect of details became the hallmarks of the Beuronese style. Paul Cezanne (1839–1906), Paul Gauguin (1848–1903), and Vincent van Gogh 1853–1890) were familiar with Beuronese art, which influenced the French school of art known as Nabis, whose founder Maurice Denis (1870–1943) visited Beuron several times.
The Galilee Chapel at Durham Cathedral
The Galilee Chapel was built by Bishop Hugh le Puiset between 1170 and 1175. Puiset originally began building at the east end of the cathedral but when huge cracks appeared in the stonework, they were taken as a sign of disapproval from St Cuthbert himself and the work moved to the west end, overlooking the precipitous drop to the river. The chapel was intended for use by women, whose presence Cuthbert, enshrined at the east end, was said to dislike – perhaps the reason for his inferred displeasure.
The name of the Galilee Chapel alludes to Christ’s journey from Galilee to Jerusalem for the events leading up to his crucifixion, a journey symbolised by the monks gathering there before re-entering the cathedral for the mass. Its walls were painted with images of St Cuthbert and Oswald, King of Northumbria in the early 7th century. From 1370 the chapel was the busy home of Bede’s shrine and, later, the consistory court and the beginnings of Durham School
This atmospheric watercolour was painted by Blore in the 1820s. He was fortunate to have the opportunity: in 1795, the ‘improving’ architect, James Wyatt started the demolition of the Galilee and was only stopped by a pioneering preservation lobby.
Romainmotier was founded in the middel of the 5 century by ST Romain and is the oldest monastery in Switzerland. In was destroyed in the 6th century by the Alamani and rebuilt in 632 by Félix Chramnélène who subjected its monks to the Rule of St Columbanus. It received Pope Stephen II in 753 who placed it ubder the protection of the Holy See.
Another view of the Galilee chapel from what was the cloister:
Romainmotier
A picture of the two storied Gallilee chapel placed before the main entrance to teh abbey church
Some examples of the beautiful work of the Russian Orthodox iconographer, Gregory Krug:
Pentecost
The Descent into Hell
The Burial of Christ
Some notes on Gregory Krug can be found here:
http://www.aidanharticons.com/articles/20THICON%202.pdf
And an assessment of his work:
“Father Gregory Krug dedicated his entire life to painting icons. He chose iconography in stead of the adventure of modern art for the icon represented his own ascetic labour, prayer and contemplation. This art ment for him the most courageous act of a human being: the revelation of God in his whole glory”.
St Brendan’s, Birr, Co. Offaly
Indeed, as suspected, the chancel window is by A.W.N. Pugin:
Fr. John Spain PP (1836 – 1848)
The appointment of Fr. John Spain led to the second phase in St. Brendan’s devel*opment. He extensively remodelled the church adding the galleries and the building’s greatest treasure the west-facing window behind the high Altar. This is especially precious, as Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (architect of London’s Houses of Parliament) designed it. It was manufactured in Newcastle-on-Tyne, packed in crates, protect*ed by straw and transported to Birr. It was installed in 1842 as the stone above the window signifies. This according to Monsignor Ignatius Murphy’s `History of the Diocese of Killaloe’ makes it the oldest stain glass window in the Diocese. Fr. Spain also invited the Sisters of Mercy to the town. Their founder Ven. Catherine McAuley attended Mass in the church during the winter of 1840-1841. Fr. Spain died of famine fever in 1848 and is buried at the north side of the altar.
St Brendan’s Birr Co Offaly
Some interesting details about the this church:
Dean John Scanlon PP (1903 – 1916)
Major renovations costing £7,200 were carried out by Dean Scanlon between 1910 and 1917. W.H. Byrne, Dublin was Architect for the project. It is interesting today to examine the costs of building at the time. The following works were carried out: Repairs to a stone pinnacle by Daniel Carroll (Seffin), D. P. Hoctor (Green Street) main contractor was paid £3,378. McLaughlin’s (Dublin) carried out work to the ceiling, steel roof supports were installed costing £1,800, Joseph Egan (Chapel Lane) pointed the exterior walls for £140, Gas lighting £160, 8 large and 4 small cut -stone windows £910, Hodginson (Limerick) painting and decoration £406, roof and ventilation £152.
Interesting also to note Hodginson’s of Limerick also worked on this church which has a fine ribbed ceiling of a type similar to those installed by the Pain brothers in the North Cathedral in Cork and in St. Patrick’s, fermoy, and St. Patrick’s, Dungarvan.
