Fruit of the Contemplative Life
Fruit of the contemplative life: => Art of the Mystic => : Alexander July 28, 2014, 02:20:43 PM
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Dante and Beatrice
(http://i.imgur.com/jGJkEhh.jpg)
The Hermit Tarot card - represents the solitary life
(http://i.imgur.com/OA5fwIp.jpg)
Christ measuring the spheres
(http://i.imgur.com/mrKxUZ2.jpg)
Kali trampling on Shiva
(http://i.imgur.com/Sv5fiW6.jpg)
Judas by Nikolai Ge
(http://i.imgur.com/PQdyDNO.jpg)
Hildegard von Bingen, the Mystic Rose
(http://i.imgur.com/Hj4QCxY.jpg)
Paradiso with Dante and Beatrice and the Mystic Rose
(http://i.imgur.com/HfyUwx1.jpg)
The Magician - above and below
(http://i.imgur.com/GrurJPb.jpg)
The Entombment of Christ
(http://i.imgur.com/gaupTPT.jpg)
Christ Pantokrator
(http://i.imgur.com/VjDB5Cs.jpg)
The Harrowing of Hell
(http://i.imgur.com/yZnGvjH.jpg)
Flammarion engraving
(http://i.imgur.com/Cixru83.jpg)
Bhairava and Kali in Union
(http://i.imgur.com/bgUgPP3.jpg)
St. John of the Cross
(http://i.imgur.com/nGZK9SL.jpg)
Dante and Beatrice looking up from the Dark Wood of Error
(http://i.imgur.com/NVuxl6l.jpg)
Shiva and Shakti
(http://i.imgur.com/zUGDHsa.jpg)
The Lovers
(http://i.imgur.com/uTNjVFx.jpg)
The Devil
(http://i.imgur.com/g7mTTIW.jpg)
The Fool
(http://i.imgur.com/wjVTFvv.jpg)
Death
(http://i.imgur.com/ihigPTP.jpg)
Teresa of Avila
(http://i.imgur.com/hda646E.jpg)
Shiva and Parvati
(http://i.imgur.com/zWaKNha.png)
Shiva and Parvati
(http://i.imgur.com/B4PkCxK.jpg)
St. John of the Cross
(http://i.imgur.com/jI5M21N.jpg)
Anastasis
(http://i.imgur.com/rt3yXm9.jpg)
The Ladder of Divine Ascent
(http://imgur.com/ooa617s)
The Hanged Man
(http://i.imgur.com/zYCpWGd.jpg)
Christ in the house of Martha and Mary
(http://i.imgur.com/QZnzFRE.jpg)
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Religious art is very powerful. This is because while it is just an image, the image can contain in itself a great amount of knowledge. For example, what is going on in Diego Velazquez's image of Christ in the house of Martha and Mary? The old woman is gesturing to the young woman to look at the scene before them and reflect on it. The old woman must be near death, due to her age. The young woman is working. In the story of Martha and Mary, Martha is occupied with her work. Mary acts like a simple girl and stops everything to listen to Christ. Which sister does was the wiser/more just?
Another image I have been interested is the the Lover Tarot card, and the connection of that card to the card the Devil. Notice how the first portrays the house of earthly delights, and the next a twisted vision of the same thing. This is very powerful. It says a lot about the relationship between men and women, and the end of physical experience. What objects are connected to each gender? Ultimately, both cards are depicting something true.