Art in Context: Peter Paul Rubens’ Altarpiece, The Descent From the Cross

It is a testament to Rubens’ extraordinary skill that he could convey such tenderness and devotion without any hint of sentimentality. The Descent from the Cross shows the artist moving away from his exuberant Baroque compositions to a more Classical approach. […]

Art in Context: Peter Paul Rubens’ Altarpiece, The Raising of the Cross

With this sensational painting, Rubens introduced the Baroque into Northern European art. In composition, iconography and size (15’ x 20’) it is resplendent with the artistic ideals of the Counter-Reformation. Imagine the effect this must have had when it was unveiled in 1610! […]

San José Bell — Cast of Copper and Silver and Gold

San Jose Bell

In the oldest church in America is the San José Bell, said to have been commissioned in Spain in 1356. It was virtually undamaged when it crashed 50 feet to the ground from the bell tower in 1872. A miracle? Or just a superb metal alloy? […]

Discover the Oldest Church in the U.S. — San Miguel Chapel, Santa Fe, NM

The Oldest Church in the US

The Oldest Church in the US reminds us that, although ours may not be as “fancy” as the great cathedrals of the Middle Ages or the Baroque churches of the Catholic Reformation, the stories they tell of generations past are equally fraught with sacrifice and suffering, hope and faith. […]