"And he departed from our sight that we might return to our heart, and there find Him. For He departed, and behold, He is here." ~St Augustine
Our painting of the Resurrection is from Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337), who was once a shepard, but went onto fame as a painter, sculptor, and architect and has been called "father of the Italian Renaissance."
For music, we honor George Handel, a devout Christian, composer of his remarkable Messiah (in addition to other works), and generous donor to the poor and orphaned (from The Spiritual Lives of Great Composers: "Handel donated freely to charities even in times when he faced personal financial ruin. He was a relentless optimist whose faith in God sustained him through every difficulty.")
Although many people associate Messiah with Christmas, it is a Lent / East composition. Handel composed the massive work (2 1/2 hours) in just 24 days without leaving his house. He would later say, "Not from me - but from Heaven- comes all."
It's been said the tradition of standing throughout the Hallelujah Chorus dates from when King George II was moved by emotion and chose to stand.
We wish you all the blessings of this Easter week. We'll take a short break from our blog and will be back April 16th!
Giotto - The Resurrection
Web Museum: Biography of Giotto
Listen to Excerpts from Handel's Messiah
Rediscovering Handel's Messiah
Words / Libretto to The Messiah
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