Botticelli to Braque: Highlighting the great and the familiar

Sandro Botticelli / The Virgin Adoring the Sleeping Christ 

Sandro Botticelli was one of the most celebrated artists of the Early Renaissance, which was known as a golden age of artistic painting in Italy. His 1485 masterpiece, "The Virgin Adoring the Sleeping Christ Child," welcomes museum-goers to the "Botticelli to Braque: Masterpieces from the National Galleries of Scotland" exhibition on display at the de Young Fine Arts Museum in San Francisco through the end of May. 

Sir Henry Raeburn /
Skating on Duddingston Loch.

The depth and breadth of "Botticelli to Braque" spans more than 400 years of artistic production and the 55 paintings shown in the red-walled Herbst Exhibition Galleries highlight works by many great and familiar painters from the Renaissance to the early 20th century. In addition to Botticelli, the collection includes masterpieces by Diego Velázquez, Johannes Vermer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Sir Henry Raeburn, Frederic Edwin Church, Claude Monet, Paul Gaugin, Georges Seurat, Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque.

The lender of these impressive works of art is the Scottish National Art Collection, which has linked three Edinburgh institutions that contributed to the show: the Scottish National Gallery, Scottish National Portrait Gallery and Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.

There is always a lot to learn and absorb from seeing any art exhibition, and I became fascinated from the very beginning of "Botticelli to Braque" after viewing "The Virgin Adoring the Sleeping Christ Child". Afterwards, I researched Botticelli's tempera and learned this: The Italian painter drew inspiration from the work of Filippo Lippi, and it's unusual because he painted his masterpiece on canvas not wood and the Christ Child was rarely portrayed asleep.

"This variation could be interpreted as a reminder of Christ's death," according to nationalgalleries.org, the National Galleries of Scotland's website. "His future suffering for Mankind may also be symbolized by the detailed plants and fruits. The red strawberries, for example, may refer to Christ's blood. They also complement the beautiful rose bower which forms an 'enclosed garden', a symbol of the Virgin derived from the Old Testament Song of Solomon."

Johannes Vermeer / Christ in the House
of Martha and Mary.

Meanwhile, of the 36 paintings by the Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer that are known to still exist in the world, "Christ in the House of Martha and Mary" is the largest one and the only one that illustrates a biblical subject. Vermeer is one of my favorite artists and I looked forward to seeing his contribution to the "Botticelli to Braque" exhibition. After all, any Vermeer is worth seeing.

Vermeer (1632-1675), who was regarded as one of the greatest painters of the Dutch Golden Age, was known for painting quiet human interaction, and in "Christ in the House of Martha and Mary" (ca. 1654-1655), he depicts the story of Saint Luke's Gospel (10:38-42) that tells of Christ's visit to the sister's house.

According to nationalgalleries.org, "Christ praised Mary's willingness to sit and listen to his teachings, unlike Martha who was preoccupied with housekeeping. The strong play of shadow and light, the characterization of the figures and broad handling of paint were probably inspired by the work of artists from Utrecht, who in turn were influenced by Caravaggio's art."

Rembrandt van Rijn /
Self portrait, aged 51.

When the "Botticelli to Braque" exhibition opened in March, San Francisco Chronicle art critic Kenneth Baker wrote: "An art historian might plot many lines through the selection of paintings on view, tracing the secularization of subject matter, or the evolution of patronage. But the show's most entwining intellectual thread may be the very question of representational fidelity.

"Why, besides the clerical demand of compelling faith, did what we think of as realism matter so much that it brought forth prodigies of depiction such as Vermeer, Rembrandt and Diego Velazquez?"

Baker's conclusion: "Take any direction through "Botticelli to Braque" and prepare to be blindsided by artistic miracles."

Photos: Courtesy of nationalgalleries.org.

Autumn colors: Let's take a road trip

Road Trip # 1 scarf / Inspired by autumn colors.

Inspiration comes in all forms, shapes and colors. Sometimes, it comes from an appreciation of our natural world observed while taking a road trip by automobile.

"The leaves had not really started to change to other colors rather having mellowed to old greens as they prepared for true autumn," remembered Babs Ausherman, known throughout the online yarn and fiber community as "Miss Babs".

A year ago, Ausherman was in search of natural surroundings to nurture her creative side as a fiber artist. Her "road trip" by car led her through the scenic and colorful mountains of Tennessee.

"The roadside grasses had gone tan with burgundy/russet seed heads, the sky was clear and blue," Miss Babs observed.

What she chronicled in vivid detail became the inspiration for a lovely, autumn-colored scarf design she created last year. The notes she wrote for the pattern read like a travelogue.

A hard-working, insightful fiber artist, Ausherman is the owner of Miss Babs Hand-Dyed Yarns & Fibers, Inc., an online retailer of hand-dyed yarn and fiber and patterns based in Mountain City, Tenn., the county seat of Johnson County, located in the northeasternmost corner of the Volunteer State. She was raised in a family of creative types and entrepreneurs. Miss Babs believes a good day's work is good for the soul.

I've had the pleasure to renew acquaintances with Miss Babs each of the past several years when she comes to California for Stitches West, an annual yarn and fiber expo held each February in Santa Clara. I've come to appreciate her sharp wit, artistic and creative flair, and thoughtfulness.

As I gazed upon the completed "Road Trip #1" scarf while perusing the Miss Babs booth at Stitches West earlier this year, immediately, I fell in love not only with the beautiful palette of autumn colors, but also with the design and feel of the scarf.

The Road Trip #1 scarf / 
Each section represents
the colors of the land and sky --
and it's a wonderful project
to knit on a road trip.

There are five colors that comprise the "Road Trip #1" scarf: "The original scarf is knit in Moss, Russet, Candied Pecan, Wheaten, and Coos Bay. The scarf takes a full skein of one color, and partial skeins of the other four colors," writes Miss Babs in describing the scarf on Ravelry, an online social media site for knitters and fiber artists.

"The sections represent the colors of the land and sky, but they also seem to be reminiscent of the concrete roads that we sometimes travel on. They make a thumpity-thump rhythmic sound," she adds in describing the scarf's design. "In addition to being inspired by the colors of a road trip, this scarf is a wonderful project to knit on during a road trip, since it is all garter stitch!"

My wife, who has knitted several scarfs for me, respects my taste in knitted arts. So, the "Road Trip #1 scarf seemed a natural fit. Because of its unisex pattern, I hinted that I would love to have one of these "road trip" scarves for my very own. Without hesitation, we purchased a copy of the pattern and picked out the requisite skeins of Heartland Worsted hand-painted 3-ply Merino yarn, much to the delight of Miss Babs.

My very own
Road Trip #1 scarf.

Fast forward through the remainder of winter, spring and summer to a few weeks ago. Just in time for autumn, I now have my completed scarf that's filled with its own autumn colors. During the time my wife knitted this project, it was both interesting and enjoyable to see my very own "Road Trip #1" scarf take shape, color by color and section by section. The finished scarf looks just as beautiful as the pictures that illustrate the easy-to-follow pattern.

Looking ahead, the Stitches West 2014 show is only a few months away, and I'm looking forward to attending so I can show off my "Road Trip #1" scarf for Miss Babs. I'm confident she'll be pleased by how it turned out. Now, if only I can find the time to go on a road trip.

All photographs of the Road Trip #1 scarf by Michael Dickens, copyright 2013.