BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting

Subject: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: Bee
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 11:07 AM

If having a song stuck in your head is an earworm, then having a painting stuck there must be an eyeworm.

In 1983, I was in Boston, and I saw a painting, I think in the Boston MFA (but couldda been another gallery), of Saint Francis of Assisi receiving the stigmata. This involved a horizontal floating in the air Jesus-on-the-cross sending what appear to be red laser beams at the kneeling saint. It was a very large, early European oil painting, and it was in the front foyer/hall of the gallery.

Cana anyone identify this painting and its creator for me? It's driving me nuts trying to remember the artist.

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: MMario
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 11:18 AM

Attributed to Jan van Eyck

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: Bee
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 11:25 AM

Thank you for the suggestion, MMario, but that isn't it: the painting in question is perhaps six or seven feet tall by three or more wide (I think), a tall narrow painting, the flying Jesus is very distinctive.

I've image-Googled extensively and not found it, so I was hoping a native Bostonite might know of it.

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: MMario
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 11:32 AM

here's an English one

giotto

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: ClaireBear
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 11:36 AM

Have you tried simply contacting the museum? The Boston MFA site invites you to do this:

"If you have any questions about a particular artwork from the European collection, whether or not you can find a record for it online, please send an e-mail to [e-mail]. If you have a particular question or concern regarding the provenance (history of ownership) of a work from the European art collection, please send an e-mail to [e-mail] or visit the MFA's WWII Provenance Research Project Web site."

Good luck!

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: Charley Noble
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 11:45 AM

The Boston MFA likely has a low resolution image of the painting in question on-line. They do offer a service of printing their images for a fee. But I believe you can view them all for free.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 12:12 PM

It might not be their painting. If it was touring through the area they may be able to tell you what exhibit was there and where it might be located now.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: Bee
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 01:09 PM

I may contact the museum. It isn't on their website, I've already gone through the online paintings. It is possible that it was on loan. It's a lot of years ago, and I may even have the wrong gallery: any Boston 'catter able to name another large gallery/museum there?

I also used Google image for Saint Francis paintings with no luck.

Nope, MMario, that isn't it either.

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: curmudgeon
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 01:19 PM

Google instead, St. Francis stigmata - there are loads of paintings to look at there - Tom

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: Alba
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 01:43 PM

Could it be this one Bee?

imo, that is one odd painting :)
Best of Wishes,
Jude

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 01:51 PM

Alba, your site is forbidden.

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: bobad
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 01:57 PM

Click on the second image here

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: ClaireBear
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 01:59 PM

What is that thing in the air from which the laser beams are being emitted? It looks like a cross made of two poached salmon, but I'm reasonably sure that's not right...

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: MMario
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 02:00 PM

That site has versions by Altdorfer,Gozzoli, El Greco, Veneziano, Giotto (3 versions); and Van scorel.

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: MMario
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 02:02 PM

It's suppossed to be Christ. Most of the paintings of the stigmatization of St. Francis appear to depict Him with three pairs of wings (as in the Revelations - with one pair they flew, with one pair they covered their eyes and with the last they covered their feet) or however it goes.

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: Rapparee
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 02:03 PM

Could be a cross made from fish -- icthyos and all that.

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: Ebbie
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 02:04 PM

Looks like a space craft to me. :)

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: Alba
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 02:20 PM

Sorry about that Q.

Thank you for fixing that bobad. Appreciated muchly.

Yes, it looks like a UFO to me too Ebbie. Perhaps that's why my Blue clicky was forbidden   *smile*

Jude

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: JennyO
Date: 25 Aug 07 - 10:49 AM

Maybe he's flying a crossed-fish kite.










Well that's as good an answer as any :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: Bee
Date: 25 Aug 07 - 12:26 PM

Not yet, but the image Bobad linked to is certainly related. This thread certainly has provided an opportunity to view a lot of paintings!

The one I hope to find is, as I said, tall and narrow. If I recall correctly, Francis is featured foreground bottom slightly right. High above, and almost horizontal, Jesus is portrayed, fastened to the cross, with six wings, and with what appears to modern eyes to certainly be red laser beams from his wounds to Francis.

It was so strikingly bizarre that my friends and I briefly used it as an alternative to "Lard, T'underin' Jesus!", instead exclaiming "Six-winged Flyin' Jesus on the Cross!" I apologise for any offense taken by the devout, but as religious iconography goes, this truly qualifies as an over the top visual concept.

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: JennyO
Date: 25 Aug 07 - 12:42 PM

Could it be this one? The caption underneath reads:

A depiction of St Francis receiving the Stigmata, by Cigoli. Rays of light are seen emanating from Christ to pierce St Francis's hands.

The picture and some information is about two thirds of the way down this page.

Subject: RE: BS: Eyeworm: Looking up St. Francis painting
From: Bee
Date: 25 Aug 07 - 01:13 PM

That is more like it than any of the others, Jenny O, but I'm almost certain the Jesus was bigger and the wings differently disposed.