Believing Art

In this season ending episode, Charles and Seth reflect on the previously discussed paintings (with a brief tandem on Cain and Abel), and finish by examining Bosch's eerie and phantasmagorical three paneled painting, The Garden of Earthly Delights.

The famous Transfiguration painting held in the Vatican - Charles and Seth discuss the structure of the painting in regard to the events that happened in Mark 9, and how it might inform our view of the relationship between transcendence and humanity.

Links:

• Raphael's Transfiguration Wikipedia Article

Charles and Seth examine the story surrounding the infamous Golden Calf narrative in the Bible. What kind of "playing" was occurring in the Israelite camp? What does that have to say about humanity's relationship to the divine and to law?

Links:

• Nolde's Dancing Around the Golden Calf
• Margaret Thatcher Trips

Charles and Seth examine the portrayal of Joseph in Nolde's painting, and how it might lend insight into Joseph's characters in relation to his brothers. Was Joseph as innocent throughout his story as we might think?

Links:

• Emil Nolde — Wikipedia Article on Emil Nolde
• NPR Article on Nolde
• The Last Supper

Caravaggio's depiction of Abraham on the verge of sacrificing Isaac raises some important questions, like, what about Isaac? Was he as stoic as we might imagine? Did he have faith like Abraham? Charles and Seth discuss these questions and more.

Links:

• Fear And Trembling
• Abraham on Trial

We look at Caravaggio's grisly painting and discuss who Goliath's head might resemble, and the strange look David has as he gazes at the decapitated head.

Links:

• Caravaggio Wikipedia Article (David with Head, Take 1)
• David with Head, Take 2

Van Dyck's famous portrayal of the famous story of Samson and Delilah. We discuss ambiguous gazes, justice and mercy, and personal impacts.

Links:

• Samson and Delilah - Anthony van Dyck

We look at Klimt's The Kiss and Schiele's Death and the Maiden and how they give insight regarding our understanding of perfection, innocence, and the "real world." We also talk about putting pieces of art into conversation with one another and the insights that are yielded from the resulting dialogue.

Schiele's Death and the Maiden

Klimt's The Kiss

Charles and Seth talk about the "other" tree from the Garden of Eden via Klimt's famous frieze, "The Tree of Life."

Tree of Life Frieze

Charles and Seth explore the painting the Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, and the various implications it has on our understanding of community and achievement.

(We are working on the audio quality...)

Tower of Babel

Article on historical context by Barbara A. Kaminska

The Tower of Babel in the Kunsthistoriches Museum