Posts Tagged 'Art and Nature'

Once Upon a Time at the DMA

Portrait Party

“Once upon a time” is one of my favorite phrases—it almost always precedes a magical beginning, the possibility of slightly harrowing adventures, a lesson or two learned, new friends, and a “happily ever after.” I’m not afraid to admit, I’m a sucker for any ole fairy tale!

As we’ve been exploring Art and Nature in the Middle Ages over the past few months, I’ve found plenty of fairy tale inspiration in the art. From stained glass windows I imagine would have fit in just fine in Sleeping Beauty’s castle to beautifully illustrated manuscripts that Belle would surely be found reading in the library, this medieval art has the same fairy tale magic as the stories.

Are you a fairy tale fan too? Even after we say goodbye to Art and Nature, there are still plenty works of art in the DMA’s collection that speak to a fairy-tale loving heart. To find the perfect match for your inner fairy tale hero, take our quiz here!

And be sure to come to this Friday’s Late Night, which will be filled with medieval magic and fairy tale wonder!

Leah Hanson
Manager of Family and Early Learning Programs

2017 Goes Medieval

mm1

This month, our Meaningful Moments participants had fun exploring medieval art in the exhibition Art and Nature in the Middle Ages. We were especially impressed by the richly illustrated and intricately detailed pages of the medieval prayerbook, called the Book of Hours.

Calendar page from a Book of Hours: June France c. 1500 Tempera and ink on parchment Overall: 8 3/4 x 6 1/2 in. (22.2 x 16.5 cm) Musée de Cluny, musée national du Moyen Âge, Paris, Cl. 22715 g © RMN-Grand Palais/Art Resource, NY. Photograph: Jean-Gilles Berizzi

Calendar page from a Book of Hours: June
France
c. 1500
Tempera and ink on parchment
Overall: 8 3/4 x 6 1/2 in. (22.2 x 16.5 cm)
Musée de Cluny, musée national du Moyen Âge, Paris, Cl. 22715 g
© RMN-Grand Palais/Art Resource, NY. Photograph: Jean-Gilles Berizzi

The Book of Hours was the bestseller of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, from about 1250 to 1550. The core of the Book of Hours is a set of prayers, called the Office of the Virgin Mary, which are to be recited at home at eight different hours of the day. A calendar typically prefaces each Book of Hours, listing the important feast days throughout the year, and is illustrated with the common activities that characterized each month.

Inspired by Books of Hours, participants returned to the studio to create their own illuminated calendars using watercolor and gold paint. What better way to kick off 2017?

Download a PDF of our medieval style calendar to make your own at home! We printed ours on cream colored paper to mimic the look of parchment, but any 11″x17″ paper will do.

Happy crafting!

Emily Wiskera
Manager of Access Programs


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