Luther's bold proclamation

08-07-07

After the fall of Rome in 476, Europe underwent a dark period. The bubonic plague, referred to as the Plague of Justinian killed millions of people. The achievements of the Romans in art, engineering, and living standards were lost. Europe went into a dark age as chronicled by Catholic Church historians. In the 15^th century, the Italian Renaissance marked a rebirth of society especially in the arts as documented in Florence. The Mannerist themes of the late Renaissance, led by Michelangelo, allowed for secular subjects which included beautiful landscapes, although there were still religious themes as highlighted famously in the Sistine Chapel. In 1517, in Germany, Martin Luther pounded 95 theses on a door challenging the teachings and authority of a corrupt Catholic Church which would eventually evolve into Protestantism. The Catholic Church was bitterly opposed to this new ideology which challenged its power and as northern Europe became Protestant, the Church responded with the Counter-reformation. Pope Paul III organized the Council of Trent which met periodically from 1543-1565. Many Catholic doctrines were reinstated, but from an art perspective, Catholic painters such as Peter Paul Reubens were ordered to focus on subjects that would uphold the position of the Catholic Church. Many of Reubens’ paintings were commissioned for churches.

“The Miracles of St. Francis Xavier” by Reubens at the Kunsthistorisches Museum is one of the most vibrant examples of Catholic imagery The black-robed St. Francis dominates the painting as he stands on a plinth with his left hand extended upward aimed toward heavenly angels while his right hand brings the dead to life. Ruebens, who studied in Italy, was no doubt influenced by Caravaggio as he used dramatic lighting to highlight the observers and listeners along with St. Francis. An armored soldier is standing in the shadow creating a perspective in the composition that leads the viewer to the miracle that is being performed. On the right-hand side of the painting is a muscular white-haired blind man who strikes a pose which was based on the Raphael painting “Madonna di Foligno” and also emphasizes the stone pedestal that St. Francis Xavier is standing on. The painting was placed on the high altar of a new church in Antwerp to create a maximum effect and it was expected that it would accelerate the canonization of Francis Xavier which occurred in 1622 along with Ignatius Loyola for whom Ruebens did a similar painting.

The Kunsthistorisches Museum, constructed out of sandstone, opened in 1891 along with the identical Natural History Museum commissioned by the Emperor Franz Josef. The Hapsburg dynasty needed a magnificent place to store and showcase their art treasures that they had collected. The museum is divided into two permanent galleries - the Flemish section which consists of Reubens, Pieter Brueghel, and Jan Van Eyck. The scenic and detailed crowds featured in Brueghel paintings are a must see. Most of the Rembrandts displayed here are done by his pupils, but there is a self-portrait of Rembrandt, that may be his best of the sixty that he did. I did not see the other half of the museum today which consists of the Italian masters like Raphael, Titian, and Caravaggio along with some Spanish and French paintings.

I went to the supermarket for the first time in Vienna and was delirious to find the Ritter Sport Hallenbitter for 89 cents. They sell 24 different flavors of Ritter Sport, which is made in Germany with their trademark squares. There are 16 squares in a Ritter Sport chocolate bar. Vienna is the first city in Europe that I’ve been to where you have to pay for a shopping bag if you want to carry your groceries.

After dinner at the Centimeter- a diner that was recommended by Professor Stuart, I passed by the Rathausplatz where they have a summer film festival that shows a different opera, ballet, or concert on the big screen every day. You can sip on a glass of vintage, white Austrian wine- it received rave reviews by Eric Asimov, the wine critic for the New York Times- while watching Carmen on the big screen. This might be the one theater where it isn’t so easy to find buttered popcorn, but maybe this is the one thing the Viennese are health-conscious about.