St Francis of Assisi

Is Beauty Worth It? Doesn't it Cost Too Much?

Is Beauty Worth It? Doesn't it Cost Too Much?

No! Beauty Transforms Us Spritually, Invokes the Principle of Superabundance that Generates Wealth for All, and Inspires Us to Love the Poor.

As St Francis of Assisi understood, beauty is a common-good, beneficial spiritually, to all who encounter it, rich and poor alike. But second, the poor will benefit materially as well. Faith inspires charity and so it will inspire the rich to give to the poor directly.

A 14th-Century Italo-Byzantine St Francis of Assisi And His Habit at the National Gallery, London

A 14th-Century Italo-Byzantine St Francis of Assisi And His Habit at the National Gallery, London

The iconographic stylization persisted in Italy in some regions due in part to the fact the some parts of Italy remained under Byzantine rule until as late as the 11th century and the painting style continued, passed down by tradition.

Four More Images of St Francis From the National Gallery London: Three Good and One Bad!

Four More Images of St Francis From the National Gallery London: Three Good and One Bad!

Baroque artists painted so that the pictures pops into focus when viewed from the distance of approximately 3 times the distance of the widest dimension. So this one is meant to be viewed from approximately 30 feet away. At this distance the viewer can see the whole painting without having to scan the eyes over different parts of the painting.

The Art of Matthew Paris as a Model for the Transformation of American Sacred Art

The Art of Matthew Paris as a Model for the Transformation of American Sacred Art

The new American gothic? If we are looking for a starting point for the rejuvination of American sacred art, and more broadly even American culture, I suggest that the gothic could be one starting point.