Wikio - Top Blogs - Religion and belief
Showing posts with label constable. Show all posts
Showing posts with label constable. Show all posts

Tuesday, 7 April 2026

Artlyst: The Art Diary April 2026

Here's my April Art Diary for Artlyst:

The April 2026 Art Diary examines several exhibitions related to spirituality. Kettle’s Yard recently commissioned an essay exploring their collection through the lens of spirituality, while an exhibition at ICA LA is currently examining art as a conduit to the spiritual. Performances and exhibitions involving Maurizio Cattelan, El Greco, William Blake, Henri Matisse and Lillian Delevoryas, among others, explore related themes.

Exhibitions by Mirna Bamieh and Theaster Gates engage with themes of discrimination, while several other exhibitions and a sculpture unveiling explore aspects of our relationship with our environment. These include ‘Gainsborough, Turner and Constable’, a Constable 250 exhibition at Gainsborough’s House that explores the emergence of landscape painting in Britain, led by three of its greatest exponents.

My other pieces for Artlyst are:

Interviews -
Monthly diary articles -
Articles/Reviews -

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joseph Arthur - The Family.
Posted by Jonathan Evens at 17:53 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, 15 January 2026

Seen and Unseen - Turner and Constable: storms, salvation and the sublime

My latest article for Seen and Unseen is 'Turner and Constable: storms, salvation and the sublime' in which I discuss how Tate Britain reveals how rival visions shaped art and spirit:

'Despite the differences of style, focus and experience, these images – each of which are to be found in ‘Turner & Constable: Rivals & Originals’ - are linked by the story of Noah and the Flood. Turner depicts the flood as judgement and the covenant that followed as more broadly salvific by the inclusion of Moses and the brazen serpent which, by implication, also includes Christ. Constable recalls the same story through the imagery of the rainbow, which reminds us of God’s promise that, whatever storms we face, God will never again flood the earth.

John Ruskin, the great champion of Turner’s work in his own day and time, encouraged viewers to ‘let each exertion of [Turner’s] mighty mind be both hymn and prophecy – adoration to the Deity – revelation to mankind’. The significance of Constable’s faith in his work has only been recognised much more recently through the work of Richard Humphreys, David Thistlethwaite, and Bendor Grosvenor. The latter describes Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows as ‘an emphatic demonstration of the religious sublime’. Constable commended the understanding that we are ‘endowed with minds capable of comprehending the “beauty and sublimity of the material world” only as the means of leading us to religious sentiment’. With these images, that is what Turner and Constable both achieve.'

My first article for Seen and Unseen was 'Life is more important than art' which reviews the themes of recent art exhibitions that tackle life’s big questions and the roles creators take.

My second article 'Corinne Bailey Rae’s energised and anguished creative journey' explores inspirations in Detroit, Leeds and Ethiopia for Corinne Bailey Rae’s latest album, Black Rainbows, which is an atlas of capacious faith.

My third article was an interview with musician and priest Rev Simpkins in which we discussed how music is an expression of humanity and his faith.

My fourth article was a guide to the Christmas season’s art, past and present. Traditionally at this time of year “great art comes tumbling through your letterbox” so, in this article, I explore the historic and contemporary art of Christmas.

My fifth article was 'Finding the human amid the wreckage of migration'. In this article I interviewed Shezad Dawood about his multimedia Leviathan exhibition at Salisbury Cathedral where personal objects recovered from ocean depths tell a story of modern and ancient migrations.

My sixth article was 'The visionary artists finding heaven down here' in which I explored a tradition of visionary artists whose works shed light on the material and spiritual worlds.

My seventh article was 'How the incomer’s eye sees identity' in which I explain how curating an exhibition for Ben Uri Online gave me the chance to highlight synergies between ancient texts and current issues.

My eighth article was 'Infernal rebellion and the questions it asks' in which I interview the author Nicholas Papadopulos about his book The Infernal Word: Notes from a Rebel Angel.

My ninth article was 'A day, night and dawn with Nick Cave’s lyrics' in which I review Adam Steiner’s Darker With The Dawn — Nick Cave’s Songs Of Love And Death and explore whether Steiner's rappel into Cave’s art helps us understand its purpose.

My 10th article was 'Theresa Lola's poetical hope' about the death-haunted yet lyrical, joyful and moving poet for a new generation.

My 11th article was 'How to look at our world: Aaron Rosen interview', exploring themes from Rosen's book 'What Would Jesus See: Ways of Looking at a Disorienting World'.

My 12th article was 'Blake, imagination and the insight of God', exploring a new exhibition - 'William Blake's Universe at the Fitzwilliam Museum - which focuses on seekers of spiritual regeneration and national revival.

My 13th article 'Matthew Krishanu: painting childhood' was an interview with Matthew Krishanu on his exhibition 'The Bough Breaks' at Camden Art Centre.

My 14th article was entitled 'Art makes life worth living' and explored why society, and churches, need the Arts.

My 15th article was entitled 'The collective effervescence of sport's congregation' and explored some of the ways in which sport and religion have been intimately entwined throughout history

My 16th article was entitled 'Paradise cottage: Milton reimagin’d' and reviewed the ways in which artist Richard Kenton Webb is conversing with the blind poet in his former home (Milton's Cottage, Chalfont St Giles).

My 17th article was entitled 'Controversial art: how can the critic love their neighbour?'. It makes suggestions of what to do when confronted with contentious culture.

My 18th article was an interview entitled 'Art, AI and apocalypse: Michael Takeo Magruder addresses our fears and questions'. In the interview the digital artist talks about the possibilities and challenges of artificial intelligence.

My 19th article was entitled 'Dark, sweet and subtle: recovered music orientates us'. In the article I highlight alt-folk music seeking inspiration from forgotten hymns.

My 20th article was entitled 'Revisiting Amazing Grace inspires new songs'. In the article I highlight folk musicians capturing both the barbaric and the beautiful in the hymn Amazing Grace and Christianity's entanglement with the transatlantic slave trade more generally.

My 21st article was entitled 'James MacMillan’s music of tranquility and discord'. In the article I noted that the composer’s music contends both the secular and sacred.

My 22nd article was a book review on Nobody's Empire by Stuart Murdoch. 'Nobody's Empire: A Novel is the fictionalised account of how ... Murdoch, lead singer of indie band Belle and Sebastian, transfigured his experience of Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME) through faith and music.'

My 23rd article was entitled 'Rock ‘n’ roll’s long dance with religion'. The article explores how popular music conjures sacred space.

My 24th article was an interview with Alastair Gordon on the artist’s attention which explores why the overlooked and everyday capture the creative gaze.

My 25th article was about Stanley Spencer’s seen and unseen world and the artist’s child-like sense of wonder as he saw heaven everywhere.

My 26th article was entitled 'The biblical undercurrent that the Bob Dylan biopics missed' and in it I argue that the best of Dylan’s work is a contemporary Pilgrim, Dante or Rimbaud on a compassionate journey.

My 27th article was entitled 'Heading Home: a pilgrimage that breaks out beauty along the way' and focuses on a film called 'Heading Home' which explores how we can learn a new language together as we travel.

My 28th article was entitled 'Annie Caldwell: “My family is my band”' and showcased a force of nature voice that comes from the soul.

My 29th article was entitled 'Why sculpt the face of Christ?' and explored how, in Nic Fiddian Green’s work, we feel pain, strength, fear and wisdom.

My 30th article was entitled 'How Mumford and friends explore life's instability' and explored how Mumford and Sons, together with similar bands, commune on fallibility, fear, grace, and love.

My 31st article was entitled 'The late Pope Francis was right – Antoni Gaudi truly was God’s architect' and explored how sanctity can indeed be found amongst scaffolding, as Gaudi’s Barcelona beauties amply demonstrate.

My 32nd article was entitled 'This gallery refresh adds drama to the story of art' and explored how rehanging the Sainsbury Wing at the National Gallery revives the emotion of great art.

My 33rd article was an interview with Jonathan A. Anderson about the themes of his latest book 'The Invisibility of Religion in Contemporary Art'.

My 34th article was an interview with 'Emily Young: the sculptor listening as the still stones speak'.

My 35th article was a profile of New York's expressionist devotional artist, 'Genesis Tramaine: the painter whose faces catch the spirit'.

My 36th article was a concert review of Natalie Bergman at Union Chapel - a soul-soaked set turned personal tragedy into communal celebration.

My 37th article was based on the exhibition series 'Can We Stop Killing Each Other?' at the Sainsbury Centre. In it I explore how art, theology, and moral imagination confront our oldest instinct.

My 38th article article was 'The dot and the dash: modern art’s quiet search for deeper meaning' in which I argue that Neo-Impressionism meets mysticism in a quietly radical exhibition at the National Gallery.

My 39th article was 'From Klee to Klein, Wenders to Botticelli: angels unveiled' in which I explore how, across war, wonder and nativity, artists show angels bridging earth and heaven.

My 40th article was 'When Henry Moore’s Madonna shocked Northampton' in which I explore how a modernist mother and child stirred outrage, then lasting wonder.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Picture - The Great Escape.
Posted by Jonathan Evens at 22:40 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, 2 December 2025

Artlyst - The Art Diary December 2025

My December Art Diary for Artlyst highlights books and exhibitions exploring themes of national art – both British and Sudanese. I have also included several other art books that may be of interest as gifts at Christmas. Then I turn to exhibitions in ecclesiastical settings, along with others that feature Edmund de Waal, Paula Rego, and Sean Scully. Books also feature in a range of linked ways in several of these exhibitions, too:

'The ambitious and entrepreneurial Turner had a rapid rise to prominence. At the same time, Constable was equally determined to forge his own path as an artist but faced a longer, more arduous rise to acclaim. Though from different worlds, both artists were united in their desire to transform landscape painting for the better. Turner painted blazing sunsets and sublime scenes from his travels. At the same time, Constable often returned to depictions of a handful of beloved places, striving for freshness and authenticity in his portrayal of nature. As they vied for success through these very different yet equally bold approaches, the stage was set for a heady rivalry in the competitive world of landscape art. As Grosvenor notes in his book, their achievements established a form of British art that drew on earlier religious inspirations, exploring these within a spirit of place and the illumination of divine light.'

My other pieces for Artlyst are:

Interviews -
Monthly diary articles -
Articles/Reviews -
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Jonathan Evens at 22:53 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, 14 August 2024

St James Nayland










While returning from my tour of Rosemary Rutherford's stained glass in the north-east of the Diocese of Chelmsford, I also called in at St James Nayland.  

The East Window here is believed to have been designed and painted by George Mayer (1822-1884) and erected by Tomas Baillie & Co., London. Behind the altar set in the centre of an 18th century reredos is a painting of Christ by Constable. "Christ Blessing the Bread and Wine of the Last Supper" a rare portrait of Christ commissioned in 1809 by John Constable's aunt who at that time was living in Nayland. The painting was stolen in 1985 but was swiftly recovered and has since been enclosed behind glass with a special security system. Two further paintings of Christ by Constable hung in All Saints' Church, Feering, Essex and in the parish church, Brantham, near Flatford Mill, Suffolk. “The Ascension” can be seen at St. Mary's, Dedham.

James Clark, who created the 'Farmiloe' window, was a provincial English painter born in West Hartlepool, in north-east England. He rose to prominence in 1914 when his painting entitled The Great Sacrifice was reproduced as the souvenir print issued by The Graphic illustrated newspaper with its Christmas number. Clark designed a number of war memorials and his painting was the basis for several memorial stained glass windows in churches.

The 'Kempe' Tower and West Window is found behind the font; its mellow colours (circa 1908) depict the figures of the Blessed Virgin, St. John and St. Luke accompanied by six small angels holding the background drapery aloft on ribbons. Tower’s symbols of a wheat sheaf and a castle can be seen low down on the left-hand-side.

Close to the Lady Altar are eight painted panels from the old rood screen. These are (from left to right) St. Cuthbert with the head of St. Oswald, St. Edward the Confessor – the best preserved shown with the ring supposedly given to St. John disguised as a beggar – a king who may be the Emperor Charlemagne, another unidentified king and an archbishop thought to be St. Thomas of Canterbury. 

Stations of the Cross along both the north and south aisles were added in 1987. Sculpted by Bette Curtis – a church member – they were commissioned in memory of Dr. Cloudsley-Smith.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Innocence Mission - Evensong.
Posted by Jonathan Evens at 00:02 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)