Raiders of the Lost Spark

Fo Guang Shan temple, Mississauga

In the country, past Orangeville, Ontario with my husband and his son. Vegan food, meditation, kirtan, and meeting some truly amazing people. Lots of tea and meaningful conversation.

Georgian Bay, ON

Since my early days as a hopeful student of fine art/art history (eventually I went into Classics instead, however), I have loved the art of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Of special interest are works with either a devotional or mythological theme. On my weekend visit to Ottawa’s National Gallery, I was transfixed by the below piece. Lacking the gentleness of a Madonna or the sensuality of a Venus, this painting by Hans Baldung was rather shocking in comparison to the works of his contemporaries.

Eve, the Serpent, and Death c. 1510-1515

The themes of the Fall of Man and the Dance of Death can be seen in this work, influenced by the Protestant Reformation and Renaissance humanism. This painting is evocative and erotic. Lust and death are linked, as an seductive Eve, apple in hand, grasps the tail of the serpent while casting a veiled glance at a fallen Adam, who, in a decomposed state, has been transformed into the figure of Death. Baldung, a Northern Renaissance artist, produced several memento mori in painting and print, incorporating both secular and religious iconography.