PHILOMENA: What does it mean to be a Christian?

Every person is a Moon and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.

-Mark Twain.

It was a question designed more to wound than to inquire … “Why don’t you go to church more often?” she asked me, giving me a daring look. “Why don’t you pray at night or wear a cross?”

My mind was blurred. “Should I really go to church and learn every prayer to call myself a Christian?”  I thought but hesitated to answer, murmuring something unclear like I always do under pressure.

She was grinning with a deep self-satisfaction at seeing my puzzled and slightly flustered facial expression. At that moment I felt lost and beaten. Yet, although I had lost the verbal skirmish something inside me was whispering the truth. That whisper grew stronger over time but remained silently sleeping inside my mind until the night I saw “Philomena”.

“Philomena” is not only a profoundly touching story of a mother who embarks on a 50 year long search for her son. It is a heartbreaking story of a forced separation. And in many scenes we perceive and stand in awe at the power of the indestructible love that was once an umbilical cord. No matter how far her son is, Philomena remains strongly attached to him by the umbilical spirit which remains long after the physical cord has been snipped.  Even after Antony’s birth, once the cord was cut and they were physically separated, there always was an invisible force that brought them together in their thoughts and prayers. And what may seem the main theme of the film – an almost inexplicably strong telepathic connection between  mother and child and the constant never-ending search for each other – should be viewed as a secondary theme.

Yet something that remains hidden between the lines and in my opinion constitutes the main message of the film.

Philomena is a young pretty girl in 1950s Ireland who falls in love and gets pregnant. Her father - ashamed of her sins and the social judgments they will engender - leaves the daughter at a convent with nuns. Her life at the convent is hard especially considering her pregnancy. There is no doctor present when she is giving birth to her child – given the baby’s podalic position this is a fearful absence.. Philomena is often humiliated and constantly reminded of having committed a deadly sin. The  waves of condemnation continue to engulf her even at the moment of birth, which is almost a moment of death given the risk to the baby’s life.

Having experienced a cruel separation from her son and learned of his adoption, Philomena leaves the convent and starts a new  life hiding her secret from everyone who knew her. Until one day she cannot handle the pain anymore and reveals the hard truth to her daughter and a BBC journalist Martin.

Being the opposite of her, Martin represents the majority of us. He is the one who insists on unveiling the truth about the adoption of Antony and he is the one who is determined to find him, separating “the good” from “the bad”.

Thanks to Martin we find out the ugly truth about the convent policy and the adoption business they operated for many years. We can at last see the dark side of the Church’s operation. We see the religious order that had no scruples or regrets about separating children from their mothers and being paid a thousand pounds for each baby. We see the organization that never gave a penny to the desperate mothers and hid all the information on the adoption. We see the nuns who left pregnant women “in the hands of God” and in many cases let them and their children die while giving birth.  In short we see the Church that hides its own sinful practices behind the sins of suffering mothers, mothers who will never find peace or pardon.

What we see happen to Philomena is a unique story, but not because the pain caused to her was unique. She was not the only mother who was cruelly separated from her child. What makes her story unique is her ability to stay Christian even in a world where the “Holy Mother Church” is far from perfect, and even further from giving good example as a “Holy Mother”.

Philomena is so affected by the idea of being a sinner, of being inferior to other people that when her son is taken away from her and adopted without her permission, she still bears no anger towards the nuns. She manages her anger so well that sometimes it seems unfair not to have it. And in many scenes we see Martin express the hate, anger and suffering which are really hers. But in the end, while Martin remains a slave of all the negativity he feels towards the Church and the world, Philomena liberates herself by forgiving everyone who ever brought her any suffering.

Her ability to forgive the sins of others and her ability to see only the good in everyone she meets outweighs the persistent guilt of her “dreadful sin”. The film brilliantly exposes the irony of a Christianity obsessed with punishment for sins while leaving aside the most important rule Jesus ever taught us: the power of forgiveness and giving another chance to start again ....

As I watched the film, as it moved me internally, a question kept echoing round my mind. The question asked with such pharisaical satisfaction by the woman on the street.

Does it really take to wear a cross or recite formulaic prayers to be a Christian? Is it enough to cross the confines of a church to be reunited with the divine spark within us? Can one still be Christian and not belong to any religious confession? What is the relationship between religious affiliation and belief in God?

While most of the people sitting  next to me in the cinema discussed the power of the mother’s love (an obvious message) and some even said they were falling asleep (!), I was astonished to hear none of them speak of Philomena’s outstanding humanity. Her humanity moved me, it touched deep layers of my consciousness, it  deserved my gratitude which I am expressing here. I am grateful to her and all the other people whose beauty may never be revealed to the majority. But, in the end, what does the majority know about beauty, if they condemned Jesus?

That is a question I would like to ask the woman who stopped me in the street.

*All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without a permission.

Priority

The first time I came across this novel about 8-9 years ago in a library. It was when I took another issue of the Russian monthly magazine "Foreign literature". I was a university student at the time and did not have a lot of time for obsessive reading. But this was the case. I did not watch the time and was completely dissolved in the book. I felt I had a rare chance to travel through the time to a parallel reality, where only I could go. I spent the whole night reading and re-reading every line in the book. I imagined to live in Copenhagen - just like Delphine (the main character) - where I could see the four city towers. I could feel all the pain, inexplicable passion and delicacy the novel was transmitting. That night the book blazed up inside of me and kept on burning.

During all these years Delphine lived inside of me. I found myself using her words to speak and her eyes to look on the world. And I kept missing this incredible feeling the novel left in my heart. Some months ago I realized I had to re-read "Priority". A couple of days ago the book was delivered. As soon as I opened it and started reading the first lines I was dissolved in it again.

The storyline in the novel is very simple yet romantic. Two lonely strangers start writing letters to each other. This correspondence evolves with time: at first there is an almost imperceptible attraction growing into an electric tension growing into the feeling of euphoria and love. Two strangers living in different countries... what do they have in common?

Throughout the whole novel we percept that both Delphine and Jean-Luc are very delicate and gentle people with a very subtle view on the world. Every letter is filled with love to life and at the same time - melancholy and grief over life they are never going to have. They both have an amazing capacity of seeing art everywhere which makes their letters so weightless, almost unearthly. These two people are not living in the reality, and it makes us want to stay a little bit longer in their imaginary world.

There are colours everywhere in the novel: there is the grey of Copenhagen and the yellow of Cannes. They both imagine travelling together to Rome, Paris and Venice, finding their own place in every city. These travels are not so much romantic as they are erotic in their description.

You feel eroticism in every line of the novel, even when it seems there is none. The author Iselin Hermann fantasises of undressing Delphine with Jean-Luc's hands. She fantasises of having them together in the same hotel in Sweden: naked and passionate. Fantasies of love and sex so rare and subtle in their description you can hardly find anything similar in the modern prose.

What makes the novel so special? There is of course the sensual, erotic way of narration. But what makes us look in depth of the novel is the storyline itself and its characters. Who are they? We don't know anything about Delphine but it feels like we know her. She is honest and she's not hiding anything. But when it comes to Jean-Luc... who is he really? Is he a famous married artist or a simple post office employee? Maybe he is a lonely young man longing for love, thinking he is undeserving of it? Will Delphine be able to love him just as he is? Will she ever forgive him?

The end of the novel, like the novel itself if very well-thought. Hermann tears off the mask from this ephemeral correspondence of two complete strangers and shows us a harsh, cold reality. The kind of reality we don't want to know after having travelled through the fantasy land. And yet the author shows us the downside of reality, its worries and its grief. In the end we wish we could go back in time and have another happier ending for Delphine and Jean-Luc.

I highly recommend the novel to all men of any age. I recommend it to men in hope that they will understand the delicacy of the woman's soul. I hope they will understand how important it is not to break a woman's heart and her hopes.

Salvador Dalì will be visiting Rome

Salvador Dalí was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres, Spain.
Dalí was a skilled draftsman, best known for the striking and bizarre images in his surrealist work. His painterly skills are often attributed to the influence of Renaissance masters.
Dalí's expansive artistic repertoire includes film, sculpture, and photography, in collaboration with a range of artists in a variety of media.

Dalí was highly imaginative, and also had an affinity for partaking in unusual and grandiose behavior. His eccentric manner and attention-grabbing public actions sometimes drew more attention than his artwork to the dismay of those who held his work in high esteem and to the irritation of his critics.
The Salvador Dalì  exhibition investigates the artist's complex personality and multifaceted genius. Organised together with the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation the show adopts a novel approach, giving insight into some aspects of Salvador Dalí which have not been shown before. Light will be shed on an aspect that has so far been ignored by exhibitions and research into Dalí, which is his relationship with Italy.

The exhibition will focus on a selection of outstanding paintings, around which a series of other items, including objects, illustrations, and theatre and cinema costumes, will examine every aspect of the Spanish painter's activities. Documents, photographs, drawings, letters, projects, and objects will all document his journeys through Italy, and his inspirational encounters, like those with Anna Magnani and Luchino Visconti.

The exhibition brings together the figure of the artist and that of the man, giving a complete overview of the genius Salvador, who with his temperamental and biographical eccentricity managed to create a fascinating, intriguing universe of sculptural and literary images that are quite unparalleled.

Visit this fascinating exhibition: Complesso del Vittoriano, Piazza Venezia, Rome from March 9 until July, 1st 2012.

Oscars 2012 speak French

The 84th ceremony of the Academy Awards ended up with an absolute triumph of Michel Hazanavicious's the Artist. Clooney and Pitt went home empty-handed. And Martin Scorsese's Hugo Cabret took five Oscars, sharing this way the victory with the Artist.

The Artist took respectively five Awards, most of which were in the major categories: picture, leading actor (Jean Dujardin), director (Michel Hazanavicious), along with costume design and original score.
Martin Scorsese's Hugo in 3D won for art direction, cinematography, sounding editing, sound mixing and visual effects.

I can't but express my sincere admiration towards Meryl Streep who deservedly got her another Oscar for the best leading actress. And although the Iron Lady did not leave a strong impression on me as a movie, Meryl Streep with her incredible talent was impeccable as always. Another pleasant surprise was the best original screenplay Oscar for Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. Very original, indeed!

And here we have our two main winners: the Artist and Hugo Cabret, both of which are fantasies set in about the same time (1920-1930s). Martin Scorsese takes on a trip to the very beginnings of the Hollywood, in 1895, which is an wonderful treat for all the lovers of true Hollywood. There is no doubt the two main Oscar-winning pictures are very different. While Michel Hazanavicious stakes on the acting and the original emotional power of the movie, Martin Scorsese creates a film that is not performance-centered. Hugo is rich and full of incredible special effects, which reminds us of another 3D picture, Avatar. Both movies, depending on technique, did not take the main Academy Awards.

Why do we love the Artist so much? I've already written this in my previous post: this picture took a very special place in my heart. It is different from everything we see in cinema these days. It could be that the director himself made this difference so clear. You understand that he is expressing his sincere and very personal view, not only of what he loves about movies or Hollywood, but about what he loves and values most in life. I think this is a precious, rare gift from the director. You can feel his impeccable style not only in costumes and behaviour, but in life. The Artist a gracious, witty and aesthetically beautiful picture.

In my opinion, the Artist can take a place in everyone's heart with all its elegance and style. It is particular as it opens the places in your soul that were hidden, the dark places. It penetrates you with its sincerity and fill you up with light and freshness. Artist is a dessert. And I am quite aware of the fact that there are a lot of critics out there who will not agree on this, saying that the black-and-white mute movie died in 1929. No, it did not. The mute movie lives, it will live inside of everyone, as a parallel world, another reality, another country. And I do advise you taking a ticket and travelling to this magic world of the modern black-and-white mute movie.

Leonardo's Lost Painting

"Savior of the World"

 A previously lost painting by Leonardo da Vinci – Salvator Mundi, or “Savior of the World” – has  been found and restored. It has been displayed at the London National Gallery, along with other works, for the Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan exhibition, taking place from November 9, 2011 to February 5, 2012.

The painting has been authenticated by distinguished scholars in the United States and Europe.  It depicts Christ with his right hand raised in blessing and his left hand holding a globe. "Svior of the World" is painted in oil on a wood panel. 

Owners of this priceless work of art include, King Charles I, Charles II,  and Sir Francis Cook, a British collector who was apparently unaware that it was da Vinci’s work. The authentication process took a long time due to fact that the piece was damaged and over-painted. 

This painting is documented in the collection of King Charles I of England in 1649 before it was sold at auction by the Duke of Buckingham's son in 1763. It was purchased in 1900 by Sir Frederick Cook a British art dealer. Where the work had been stored between these dates is unknown however it is clear that several previous poor restoration attempts had made the painting very difficult to authenticate, it was sold at auction in 1958 for £45. 


 In 2005 the work was acquired by a consortium of US art dealers and restored. The   painting has since been studied by several experts on Da Vinci and the renaissance period, the consensus is that this work was painted by Leonardo da Vinci and is the original from which the many copies depend. In a bold move by the National Gallery they will be cataloging the painting as a newly discovered Leonardo.  

If you like Leonardo's works of art, please visit: www.ilgeniodavinci.com

The da Vinci Syndrome

Exposed to the public the first time in 1998 Bianca Sforza didn't receive as much attention as it should have. It happened at the Christie's auction in New York. No one knew either the name of the painting or the name of the artist. It was a simple picture on a parchment. The painting was then bought by an art lover Kate Ganz for her gallery in Canada (it cost her $21. 850) and was then sold to a private colleсtor Peter Silverman. When he first saw the painting he felt certain it was Leonardo's.

Buying a simple painting at the auction and then finding out it was one of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpieces worth millions of dollars is what every art lover dreams about.
Peter Silverman has asked a professional opinion of Martin Kemp, a world-known professor of history of art at Oxford University. Kemp was impressed himself. He has a lot to do with "Leonardo loonies" who believe naively to possess one of the masterpieces. But this was not the case. Martin Kemp felt instantly sure it was not a simple Renaissance portrait, it was the Leonardo and now he had to prove it to the world. With the help of Pascal Cotte of Lumiere Techonology in Paris Kemp was able to do the multispectral scanning with high resolution. He found out some elements which in his opinion belong purely to Leonardo's hand and style.

Who is the young woman portrayed in this picture? Kemp found out it was Bianca Sforza, an illegitimate daughter of Duca di Milano. In 1496 she married Galeazzo Sanseverino, the captain of Milan troops and a sponsor of Leonardo da Vinci. At the time of this portrait Bianca was 13-14 years old and she passed away tragically a few months later. It is possible that it was an extrauterine pregnancy to cause the death.

Where does the painting come from? Where does it belong? Kemp didn't know the answer. It was one of his colleagues from the University of South Florida, D.R. Edward Wright, who made a suggestion the painting had something to do with the book called La Sforziade.The book is kept at the Polish National Library in Warsaw. Once he opened the book the professor saw that one of its pages was torn and the painting was perfectly matching in the missing space. The book describes the marriage and the life of Bianca Sforza and the painting was used as her portrait inside of the book. It is possible that it was taken to Poland by one of her relatives who married a member of the Polish royal family.

Is it a real Leonardo? We don't know the answer yet. A lot of exams still have to be done, a lot of time will pass before we will know the answer. Martin Kemp is however does not change his opinion. He only waits for the day Biance Sforza, a beautiful princess, can be exposed in a museum where everyone can admire her precious beauty.

"Mona Lisa" revives in El Prado

Quantifying the number of all existing copies of Mona Lisa would be an impossible thing to do. It is however believed that the Prado Museum holds the most ancient copy of this sublime work of art. After a long period of restoration the copy was presented at the museum on February 1st. According to the scientists and the museum art experts the painting was created by one of Leonardo da Vinci's pupils around the same time Mona Lisa was done. The copy was evidently painted in the same workshop as the original, even though the Italian genius never even touched the canvas. The painting was found in one of the storehouses in Prado and was very dark initially. It took a lot of work to restore the whole painting and maintain its initial beauty and the enigmatic smile. "Mona Lisa of El Prado" will be exposed next to the original in the museum of Louvre for a temporary exhibition, starting from 26 of March 2012.

If you like Leonardo da Vinci's works of art please visit: www.ilgeniodavinci.com

The most romantic city in Italy

Arena di Verona

If you've already seen my post Things you must know when you plan your trip to Italy http://willseek.blogspot.com/2012/01/things-you-must-know-when-you-plan-your.html and want to visit Italia's gem Venezia, you must go and see Verona. Verona is only an hour and a half away from Venezia. I would suggest taking a couple of days to see it. You can take a train from Venezia: train trip will be a lot more comfortable and easier than driving all the way to Verona. 

Because of the value and importance of its many historical buildings, Verona has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city preserved many ancient Roman monuments, which were mostly destroyed or heavily damaged by the earthquake of 3 January 1117, which led to a massive Romanesque rebuilding.

The Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore is one of the great achievements of Romanesque architecture . The present structure is the 3rd on this site, built from 1123–1135, over the 4th century shrine to Verona's patron saint, St. Zeno (died 380). 

Juliet's statue in bronze

When you visit Verona you cannot pass by Juliet's house. This building, originally dating back to the 12th century, was owned for a long period by the Dal Cappello family. Identification of the name Cappello with that of Capuleti began the popular belief - already widespread during the last century - that this was the home of Juliet, mythical heroine of the Shakespeare play, set in Scaligeri Verona. Its current appearance is the result of radical restoration work (1936-1940), during which the windows, gothic-style doorway and famous balcony were all added to the interior facade.

Inside the house are furnishings from the 16th-17th centuries, frescoes, and paintings - all relating to the story of Romeo and Juliet - as well as Renaissance ceramics from Verona. A bronze statue of Juliet by sculptor Nereo Costantini stands in the courtyard.

But above all, the real gem and the best memory of Verona will be its famous Arena.  The building itself was built in AD 30 on a site which was then beyond the city walls. 

Juliet's balcony

Already in ancient times the Arena was famous for its shows and games and attracted people from other regions as well. The amphitheatre could host more than 30,000 spectators.  Every year over 500,000 people see productions of the popular operas in this arena. Once capable of housing 20,000 patrons per performance (now limited to 15,000 because of safety reasons), the arena 

has featured many of world's most notable opera singers. 

I visited Verona only once in August of 2007 and I must say that Giuseppe Verdi's Aida in the Arena of Verona was the most striking experience of the whole trip. 

Watching an opera in the open-air Roman Arena, with the bright August stars above your head and seeing thousands of people holding candles during the performance will be the most romantic memory you will have of Italy. And the city of Verona with the gems like Juliet's house and the Arena will remain forever in your heart.

For more information on the performances visit: http://www.arena.it/en-US/HOMEen.html

A must-see when you visit Rome: Transfiguration

The Transfiguration is considered the last painting by the Italian High Renaissance master Raffaello Sanzio.

This painting was created by Raffaello and was believed to express a connection between God and his people.

The Transfiguration was created in 1516 and is another high end altarpiece. It was commissioned by Cardinal Giulio de Medici who was made arch bishop of Narbon and became Pope Clement VII.

Following Raffaello's premature death in 1520, the cardinal retained the picture rather than send it to France. He subsequently donated it to the church of San Pietro in Montorio, Rome. It was taken by French troops to Paris in 1797, but after 1815 it was brought to the Vatican, to its present location.

A mosaic copy of the painting was installed in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City in 1774.

The composition of the Transfiguration is divided into two distinct parts: the Miracle of the Possessed Boy on a lower level; and the Transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor, in the background. The transfigured Christ floats in an aura of light and clouds above the hill, accompanied by Moses and Elijah. Below, on the ground, are his disciples. Some are dazzled by the light of glory, others are in prayer. The gestures of the crowd beholding at the miracle link the two parts together: the raised hands of the crowd converge toward the figure of Christ. In this very grand composition Raffaello has summed up all the elements present in the best of contemporary painting, including references to classical antiquity, Leonardo da Vinci (without doubt based on his recall of impressions garnered during his stay in Florence) and - not without a certain narcissism - himself. The works set the stage (just as surely as Michelangelo's Doni Tondo) for Mannerism.

This is Raffaello's last painting and appears as the spiritual testament of the artist. The work is considered in his biography, written by the famous artist and biographer of the 16th century, Giorgio Vasari, "the most famous, the most beautiful and most divine".
The picture is now housed in the Pinacoteca Vaticana of the Vatican Museum in the Vatican City.

Visit the Vatican Museum:

Viale Vaticano, 00165  Rome

Info: tel. 0039 06 69884676 - 0039 06 69883145

Things you must know when you plan your trip to Italy

Colosseo, Rome

A lot of my friends have been asking me about Italy and places they could visit. They made me lots of questions about best places to visit and climate and people.  I will try to sum up all the most interesting facts here.

First of all, when going to Italy, you have to have a clear idea of why you are going: sightseeing, beach time or shopping. Trust me you won't have time to do all these three things in only a couple of weeks. You'll be exhausted and your memories will be blurred.

Capri

Then I would never suggest going sightseeing in summer: too humid and too hot, which is not the best combination for most of the people. Summer is excellent for some great beach time, renting a yacht and late night dinners with your Italian friends.

If you have not been feeling well and have been having heart issues, I would suggest taking advice from your practician before you leave.  My mother has been having high blood pressure and heat never makes her feel better. So, go to your doctor and don't forget your pills. And if you don't feel well, you should know that all Italian drugstores offer their free help in measuring your pressure at any time.

Best places for the beach time: 

• Capri
• Sorrento
• Amalfi/Positano
• north of Sadregna
• Isle of Elba
• Sicily
• Toscana
• Calabria

The most remarkable places for sightseeing:

Naples

• Rome, again Rome and the Vatican. I can never get enough of this city. It's so filled with culture and history, one of the most romantic and beautiful cities in the world.
• Venice. Even if I'm not such a big fan of Venice, I would still recommend you to go there, even for a day. Actually, one-two day trip will be more than enough.
• Naples. Now I know what you've probably heard about it... Naples is magic. You must see it and feel the envy for those who live there and can see this magic scenery every morning. Do you have your window overlooking the Vesuvio, Capri, Ischia and Sorrento at the same time? If you do go to Naples, don't forget to visit the Statue of Veiled Christ (see my post: the most beautiful statue in the world)
• Pompei. Let's just say it: you go to Italy and don't see Pompei? Ridiculous!
• Florence and Vinci. Because we all love and admire Leonardo da Vinci! See more about Leonardo da Vinci at www.ilgeniodavinci.com
• Verona. Go to see the Juilette's house and an opera in Arena. It is magic and you will always refer to Verona as the most romantic city in Italy.
• Small cities make you the impression of the real Italy, so do not miss that chance. Rent a car and drive on! 

So, if you need to go shopping and bring yourself some made-in-italy clothes, go straight to Milano or Rome. Both cities are ideal for luxe shopping. You'll surely have a wonderful time sitting in their fancy restaurants, showing off your fancy clothes.

You should keep in your mind one very important thing: supermarkets and shops close at 12.30 - 1 p.m. and they do not open until 4 - 4.30 pm. We have our own siesta. You should also remember that restaurants do not open until 7 p.m. for dinner. A lot of Russians complain about that, as in Russia we can normally have lunch and dinner at any time you want. 

Venice

Stay away from people talking you into something. Especially if it's a big city, like Rome, Venice or Naples. They can steal your purse, your watch, etc. Well, that happens in all the countries, but still, be prepared.

When I first travelled to Rome I had a very unpleasant accident with my credit card. It was cloned and someone left me without one thousand euro. Unpleasant, but now I can teach you. Remember this one: if you need to get some cash do NOT use an ATM that's in the street. If you find one inside of the bank it's much safer and you won't have to repeat my mistakes.

Taxies are really expensive. Find a way to rent a car. This way you'll be your own master. But be careful when you're driving - Italians are crazy drivers!

I hope this was a helpful information. Contact me if there is something I could help you with. Have a great time in Italy!

the most beautiful statue in the world!

Placed at the centre of the nave of the Sansevero Chapel, the Veiled Christ is one of the most famous and impressive works of art in the world. It was the Prince’s wish that the statue be made by Antonio Corradini, who had already done Modesty for him. However, Corradini died in 1752 and only managed to make a terracotta scale model of the Christ, which is now preserved in the Museo di San Martino.

So Raimondo di Sangro appointed a young Neapolitan artist, Giuseppe Sanmartino, to make “a life-sized marble statue, representing Our Lord Jesus Christ dead, and covered in a transparent shroud carved from the same block as the statue”. 

Sanmartino paid little heed to the previous scale model made by the Venetian sculptor. Both in Modesty, and in the Veiled Christ, the original stylistic message is in the veil, but Sanmartino’s late baroque feeling and sentiment permeate the shroud with a movement and a meaning far removed from Corradini’s rules. The modern sensitivity of the artist sculpts and divests the lifeless body of its flesh, which the soft shroud mercifully covers, on which the tormented, writhing rhythms of the folds of the veil engrave deep suffering, almost as if the compassionate covering made the poor limbs still more naked and exposed, and the lines of the tortured body even more inexorable and precise.

The swollen vein still pulsating on the forehead, the wounds of the nails on the feet and on the thin hands, and the sunken side finally relaxed in the freedom of death are a sign of an intense search which has no time for preciosity or scholastic canons, even when the sculptor meticulously “embroiders” the edges of the shroud or focuses on the instruments of the Passion placed at the feet of Christ. Sanmartino’s art here becomes a dramatic evocation, that turns the suffering of Christ into the symbol of the destiny and redemption of all humanity.

Visit the Museum:

Museo Cappella Sansevero
Via Francesco De Sanctis, 19/21
80134 – Naples, Italy

Tel./fax: +39 081.5518470