This is a really beautiful piece! I love all the colors included in it and how the entire painting is covered. I like how David is playing the harp, and he is the one who wrote most of the Psalms in the Bible (which were meant to be sung). Maybe he is writing a psalm in this piece. Also, how the music calms the animals. : ) One of my favorite psalms is Psalm 121; I wonder if he wrote that one.What puzzles me though is why the two imaginary figures, Melody, to the right of David, and Echo, peeking from behind the column, would be in a Christian painting. Also, how does the boy to the right in the foreground represent Mount Bethlehem? Anyone have any ideas?
The colors here are truly exceptional. This is a great example of syncretism where two belief systems collide and integrate, trying to make all participants comfortable.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoy the colors in this piece. I wish my bible and or song book had pictures in it like this one. It would make me want to read or sing the lyrics more often then just reading or singing words on a white page.
ReplyDeleteI like all the different colors that this picture gives off. I like everything that you said like david playing the harp. I also agree with Lani about that I wish my bible had pictures in color like this one does. I also like all the animals put into the painting.
ReplyDeleteI love the colors too. This illustration shows the refined ability of the artist who created it. Can you imagine how beautiful the other pages of the Paris Psalter are? There is intense decoration in the image and the framework around the center painting blends colors in geometric forms. Like Joyce said, this painting is an example of syncretism.Pagan traditions still were strong in Constantinople and did influence art at that time. Wikipedia said-"It shows a humanistic reverence for the Classical past" and "this time period shows an interest in the study of ancient Greek literature and language." I wonder what the lives of artists were back then and how important certain traditions were in designing such important objects like the Paris Psalter. It is a miracle it survived time.
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