Proud, Tired Joseph

By Francesco di Christofano (1485-1525) painted around 1515. I love this picture. I especially love the depiction of Joseph, especially because he usually gets second billing when it come to pictures of the holy family. Joseph looks tired here (see his messed up hair) but proud of his family. That's the baby Jesus to the right, playing with his hair while sitting on Mary's lap. My finger painting here isn't the whole painting - it cuts out most of Jesus and all of Mary. But then this is the part of the painting that I like. I spent almost 4 hours doing this painting.

In the same room with me was a guy painting (oil painting) a copy of Rapheal's famous triangular composed painting of Mary, the baby Jesus, and the baby John the Baptist. It's a really, really, really great painting, and in every art history textbook. The painting is like maybe one of the top ten paintings in human history!!

Below is an image of the painting I copied, and then a movie of the finger painting.

Spring on a Really Nice Table

I went to the Liechtenstein Museum in Wien today. It is Prince von Liechtenstein's old palace, which is now open to the public to show off his collection of paintings, sculpture and furniture. Actually the princely family lives on.... there was a black and white photo of the prince and his wife (looks like a 1980's photo) together on a sign rambling on about the palace and the collection and how the prince and his wife were so pleased to give their old palace over to the city of Wien as a museum. Very nice palace, very nice art collection - all old stuff, like Rubens, 18th century art mostly, lots of baroque.

I did a drawing on my iTouch (electronic finger painting) of a girl with flowers from a beautiful wood veneer inlaid table. I thought this girl would be the right thing for the season.

Below is a 'video' of the drawing being drawn.

Another iTouch drawing/video of a real Tulip, not found in any museum but instead at home.