ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By
Ernest &
Gregory Disney-Britton
 |
| Virgin with Child, St. John the Baptist, and Mary Magdalene (about 1530-40) by Parmigianino (Italian, 1503-1540) |
This week, the works of old masters dominated the art news (
See bottom of page), and especially,
The Getty's planned acquisition of
Parmigianino's Virgin with Child, St. John the Baptist, and Mary Magdalene. After last week's
radical expressionism by Tom Torluemke, what struck us about this elegant and sophisticated version of Mannerist style is the "blue" of the Virgin Mary's dress. Old masters used blue coverings to represent Mary's humanity clothed by the divine. It's not a rule enforced by the church, but it is a convention adopted broadly by many Renaissance artists.
People often ask why Ernest wears only blue shirts, and he typically cuts it short with: "I like blue," but there is more to his story. "Blue is the color of Heaven, and of the Virgin Mary. That is why
Alpha Omega Arts is blue too," says Ernest. "Some people wear a Cross tucked away, but Blue is my visible symbol of Heaven." That brings us back to
Parmigianino (1503 – 1540), whose "Virgin with Child" wearing blue
will soon be at home in the
J. Paul Getty Museum. Her inner garment is light "red" (the color of mankind) covered by an outer garment of light "blue" for Heaven or the divine.
For other
NEWS OF WEEK from across the USA, and around the world, see below:
