December: As the Clocks Change and the Night Draws In
Happy December! Love this new video and discussion of the role of light in Fra Filippo Lippi's Annunciation in the collection of the National Gallery in London. Anna Murray and Harriet O’Neill find hope in the darkness. From the National Gallery in London : "Our selection of paintings for December’s ‘Picture of the month’ vote was inspired by our interest in how artists have used and depicted light, particularly as a narrative device. With the clocks changing and the nights drawing in, we become more alert to the physical and symbolic qualities of light. It is a universal symbol of hope, associated with the beginning of a new day, the turning of seasons, and renewal. In many faiths, light plays ceremonial and symbolic roles. In the Christian art tradition, light alludes to the promise and presence of Christ. ‘The Annunciation’ radiates a sense of peace, and the connection to light might seem obscure at first. Set in a loggia (a room with open sides) which extends out into ...
