Tag: religious art

Postcard From Madrid, Spain: Bewitched and bedeviled

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Vintage Spanish stamp depicting a witch flying with children, inscribed with 'Quinta Sevilla Goya' and 'Correos Aéreos España'.

Above: Detail of “Allegoric Capricio,” Eugenio Lucas Velazquez (1817-1870), 1852, Lazaro Galdiano Museum.

Vispera de Todos los Santos. The hallowed eve preceding two holy days in the Catholic Church: All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Or, for the superstitious, La Noche de Brujas, when the witches fly.

Today, it appears Spain has succumbed to the highly contagious American-style celebration of Halloween. With all its horror-film-like bloody mess.

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Postcard from Bilbao, Spain: Urban vitality conquers industrial detritus

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Above: Dancers swirl around Plaza de Santiago in Casco Viejo on a fall night.

There is no nightlife in Spain. They stay up late but they get up late. That is not nightlife. That is delaying the day.”

Ernest Hemingway

Better leave it to Ernest Hemingway to explain Spain’s nocturnal habits, for I rarely witness late nights outside our home in South Austin or apartments when we travel. That’s why it was particularly pleasurable for the Basques of Bilbao to bring the party to a plaza directly under our balcony. If they did indeed stay up late, they were polite enough to pack up the accordions and finish the celebration elsewhere.

Below represents a random unpacking of snapshots from our stay in Bilbao – a city resuscitated by the reclamation of its riverfront from its industrial past and a bold, massive investment in art.

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Postcard from London, England: Journeying inside the V&A

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Above: Reflections in the viewing mirror installed above the Ardabil carpet, a commission for the ruling Shah of Iran made by Maqsud Kashani about 1540

One of the most popular spots in the Victoria and Albert Museum is the long sofa next to the ancient Ardabil carpet. While the rug’s design is exquisitely executed with about 3,500 wool knots per square inch, for many, the bench is the main attraction. Ah, the chance to reflect and rest. We were fortunate to have the time to visit more than once during our stay.

It’s easy to be bowled over by the swirling, shimmering colors of Dale Chihuly’s immense contemporary glass chandelier suspended under the graceful dome of the grand entrance hall to the museum. The sheer size of the 1862 iron choir screen from the Hereford Cathedral addressing the space competes for your attention.

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