There are certain subjects that repeatedly appeared in European art throughout the centuries: the most popular were mythological or biblical ones. Among the latter, especially in the Old Testament, we have quite lot referring to the stormy relations between men and women. Those topics were very popular among artists of…
Trumpet at rear end
Some time ago I have written about “a butt song from Hell”, noted on backside of one of the damned in Hell, in Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights (post available HERE). Today I decided to get back to the musical motif in reference to… buttocks. As it happens, there…
Let’s not drink too much wine
Every year around New Year’s Eve in my social media certain late-medieval miniatures goes viral: they depict a young man who most likely drank too much alcohol. However popular the depiction may be, most of people sharing and forwarding this image have no idea where it comes from. It is…
Frustration of St Joseph
Book of Hours of Catherine de Clèves (van Kleef) is the most richly decorated 15th c. Netherlandish book of prayers. It was created in Utrecht after 1434 and is in The Morgan Library & Museum (MS M.917/945). I have previously written about its miniatures decorating Monday prayers for the Purgatory…
St Benedict growing tree in his belly
In Central Europe, churches’ furniture dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries may often be a source of very interesting curiosities. For example, let’s take a look at pulpits: they sometimes had extremely weird shapes, as well as complex theological meaning. Some time ago I wrote about whale-shaped pulpits…