Now There's Two

Now it’s a two horse race – the della Robbia or the Rood screen I can’t help but express a preference for the former. Why?

Well The Rood screen has a well worn topic – the Magi – there is no ‘white’ magi piece I particularly like to compare it with it . Both Northern with the proliferation of Black magi and Italian Magi /Nativity are ,for me, a bit dull. There is however one Northern Black Magi I really like that’s the on a piece of stained glass in the V& A. I saw it the other day. The colours are truly magnificent. Colour ideally dramatic, vivid ,colour , is an important part of the art I like. Yes, I know as an historian one should be agnostic but this is my IE so, I’m going to have ‘colour’ in it in both senses of the word! That Magi has both two chances for me to use it

1 The Black Magi – the noble king complete with slave referencing earring
2 The Black servant or attendant - the little fellow at the front

As my essay is to be a comparison I want a counterweight to the piece I chose. So, this could be that counterweight. But that would mean comparing the Rood Screen to Black Magi possible but not so much fun as Rood Screen with Breughel’s Adoration or Gozzoli's magnificent fresco for the Medici place in Florence

I’m leaning towards the The Black Servant angle as I know the counterweight piece I want to use, it’s Carpaccio’s The Exorcism . There’s so much I like about this work. Firstly, the colours are just excellent lively, vivid saturated were needed and overall balanced and harmonious; follow the red around to see how Carpaccio uses colour so well. Next there’s the Black Gondolier centre stage and not the topic of the picture! Then there’s all those characters, I like pictures full of images there’s no shortage here. So,I’d love this is to be the counterweight to the piece I choose but I need to close on the main piece.