In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
   are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
   who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Matthew 2:1-12

The Adoration of the Magi theme was popular in the Renaissance Florence. The work was commissioned by Gaspare di Zanobi del Lama, a banker of humble origins and dubious morality connected to the House of Medici, for his chapel in the church of Santa Maria Novella (now destroyed). In the scene are present numerous characters among which are several members of the Medici family: Cosimo de' Medici (the Magus kneeling in front of the Virgin, described by Vasarias "the finest of all that are now extant for its life and vigour"), his sons Piero (the second Magus kneeling in the centre with the red mantle) and Giovanni (the third Magus), and his grandsons Giuliano and Lorenzo. The three Medici portrayed as Magi were all dead at the time the picture was painted, and Florence was effectively ruled by Lorenzo.

In his Lives Vasari describes the Adoration in the following way:

Del Lama is portrayed as the old man on the right with white hair and a light blue robe looking and pointing at the observer. In the picture is also present Botticelli's alleged self-portrait, as the blond man with yellow mantle on the far right.

The attention to details, such as the garments rendering, show the acquisition by the Florentine artist of the influences from the Flemish school at this point of his career.

http://www.paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Italian%20Images/Single%20frames/Portraits/Botticelli.htm

The real voyage of discovery

consists not in seeking new landscapes

but in having new eyes.

~ Marcel Proust

Delicious pear crumble.

Thank you, Joan and Joyce!

Lurlie Bickford sent this picture of the lone ice sculptures at the lake on Thursday.

When I got there, the ice bench was still there, but the 2014 columns 

and numerals were gone.  Only the plinths remained.

I think they may have been removed for safety purposes

because hordes of skaters were tramping down from the ramp.

I knew it would be cold and snowy on Saturday, so I made my lake sojourn on Thursday.

Instead of taking the snow-packed trail, I walked across the lake on the snow-covered ice.

No ups and downs that way!

Trish enjoyed it!

Matthew 2:1-12

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org

An interesting video:

Holy Night

The Three Kings (above) is just one of many art works by Trygve Skogrand used in the video below.

A beautiful version of the Christmas Story with inspirational art by the artist Trygve Skogrand. The music is "Silent Night" with The Cambridge Singers and John Rutter, adding a peaceful mood to this poetic version of the Christmas Story. Here the holy night is visioned as if it happened now, today - with Mary sheltering in the snow outside a Christmas decorated house, angels meeting shepherds in shopping malls, and the infant Jesus blessing us all in front of 7-11. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg2AfYfABos