Here is a picture of a painting I recently completed of the Baptism of Christ. It is, obviously, based on the traditional iconographic composition of the subject, but it is not an icon. It is a 46" x 48" oil on canvas (traditional icons are always done in egg tempera). The unusual looking object coming down from the top of the painting is found in all iconographic representations of this image, and what it signifies is the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Our Lord at His baptism. (There is a small bird in bolt that may or may not be visible on the digital image.)
My wife and I just returned from vacation. While away, we got to visit the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore, which had recently undergone a huge renovation. The last time I was there was to see the famous "Timla Relic" a few years ago. Unlike some horrific church renovations that have gone on in recent years that were supposedly meant to "update" the church, this restoration was meant to "return" the interior of the building to its original Federal-period design. And I must say that it a very tasteful renovation. They did a really good job. It looks almost like an old early Episcopal church - white washed interior, minimal designs, etc. The interior is now very bright because they removed the stained glass (dark blue Willet windows), and uncovered the original skylights in the dome. They kept all of the good stuff (the high altar, altar rails, etc.), and brought some cool old stuff back (e.g. the nation's first RC epi...
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