RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest & Gregory Disney-Britton
"Saint Jerome" by Matthias Stomer (1600-1652)
Paintings by Old Masters, like Matthias Stomer (1600-1652), represent a euphoric nostalgia for a time when art was in balance with faith. It's an imagined time when family, politics, and entertainments were also at peace. That is not today's world. Conflict is today's normal: divorce, distrust, and even the day dedicated to God is now dominated by the NFL. Christian lives are not at peace. Some collectors, however, do create homes reflecting spiritual peace. This kind of collecting is how we see Brian Sewell's art collection, including his "Saint Jerome" (above), going up for auction this week. It's a collection that both arouses excitement over creative exuberance and appeals to a faith, balanced aesthetic for visual art. It's art to inspire peace. [More]
Collector Brian Sewell on the sofa in his home in 2012. Photo courtesy of Robert Wilson
For other NEWS OF WEEK from across the USA, and around the world, see below:
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    Buddhist Art of Week: Seated Luohan Qinq Dynasty
    Christian Art of Week: Ben Smith's "Suppliant" in Georgia State Collection
    Hindu Art of Week: MF Husain's Indian modernism
    Islamic Art of Week: Caravan's Ankh as the "Key of Life"
    Jewish Art of Week: Jerusalem comes to the Metropolitan