Alex Naszados

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Alex Naszados

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Julian of Norwich (1342-1416) was a hermitess in Norwich, England who received sixteen "shewings" (or visions) in 1373. She wrote an account of this, and then spent about twenty years meditating on their deeper meaning before producing a second, much longer manuscript.

"The First Showing" will be the first in a series of pieces reflecting on each of these visions. I can't say these pieces will "depict" her showings, since many visions are multifaceted and include truths that are almost impossible to represent visually. As Julian explains, "all this was shewed by three [ways]: that is to say, by bodily sight, and by word formed in mine understanding, and by spiritual sight." Even when a vision includes a visual element, it is not always a single tableau.

This first showing, "is of His precious crowning with thorns; and therewith was comprehended and specified the Trinity, with the Incarnation, and unity betwixt God and man’s soul; with many fair shewings of endless wisdom and teachings of love: in which all the Shewings that follow be grounded and oned."

My video includes an excerpt from an audio book read by David Barnes.* The translation from the Middle English is by Grace Warrack (1855-1932). This is also the translation I will be using for my quotations.

* The entire audiobook is available free at https://librivox.org/revelations-of-divine-love-by-julian-of-norwich/

A brief look at St. Bernard, the Cistercian order and some considerations that informed my latest piece for the "City of God" series.
Oil on carved wood, 2022
9" X 28"

The newest piece in the "City of God" series is a depiction of St. John of the Cross. The saint stands in front of Mount Carmel, and holds in his left hand a scroll with the words "sin otra luz ni guia". This is a line from his poem, "Dark Night of the Soul".

This video features the first five stanzas of "Dark Night of the Soul", read by Ed Humpal for Librivox. Audio of the full poem, as well as St John's book of the same name, can be found here: https://archive.org/details/obscure_n...

(All Librivox recordings are in the public domain.)

oil on carved wood, 2021
9" x 28"

Some of the ideas and imagery that inspired this latest piece in the "City of God" series.

To introduce a new piece depicting St Joan of Arc, I've put together a video showing just some of the many images that helped inspire it.

One of the many poems about St Joan by St. Therese of Lisieux was put to music by Vincent Lecornier, and makes up the soundtrack of the video.

Here is an English translation of the lyrics:

Lord, Joan is Your splendid work,
A heart of fire, a warrior's soul:
You gave them to the timid virgin,
Whom You wished to crown with laurels.

Saint Joan of France,
Our hope Rests in you,
Saint Joan of France,
Pray, pray for us!

In her humble meadow Joan heard,
Voices from Heaven calling her into combat,
She left to save her country,
The sweet child commanded the army.

Saint Joan of France,
Our hope Rests in you,
Saint Joan of France,
Pray, pray for us!

She won over the souls of proud warriors,
The Divine lustre of Heaven's messenger,
Her pure gaze, her fiery words,
Were able to make bold brows give way....

Saint Joan of France,
Our hope Rests in you,
Saint Joan of France,
Pray, pray for us!

Joan, you are our only hope.
From high in the Heavens, deign to hear our voices.
Come down to us, come convert France.
Come save her a second time.

Saint Joan of France,
Our hope Rests in you,
Saint Joan of France,
Pray, pray for us!

A glimpse at some of my influences and inspirations with a new piece depicting St. Francis of Assisi.

St. Francis of Assisi
oil on carved wood, 2020
9" x 27"

As I began this series last winter, St. Mary of Egypt was on my list of possible subjects right from the start. Though she is more obscure than most of the saints I will be depicting, I thought she had a certain relevance to our day. And then earlier this year, as the sacraments became inaccessible to most of the world, this relevance took on a whole new dimension.

oil on carved wood, 2020

27" x 9"

alexnaszados.com

St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1689)

Oil on carved wood, 2020
9” x 28”
by Alex Naszados

A very brief introduction St. Jean de Brebeuf (for a more complete biography, please see "Jean de Brebeuf: Saint among the Hurons", by Francis X. Talbot https://www.amazon.ca/Jean-Brébeuf-Saint-Among-Hurons/dp/1621641880/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?keywords=st+Jean+de+brebeuf&qid=1578095760&sr=8-1-fkmr1

Drawings are by Canadian painter William Kurelek (1927-1977).

Oil on carved wood by Alex Naszados.

A very brief introduction St. Jean de Brebeuf (for a more complete biography, please see "Jean de Brebeuf: Saint among the Hurons", by Francis X. Talbot https://www.amazon.ca/Jean-Brébeuf-Sa...

Drawings are by Canadian painter William Kurelek (1927-1977).

Oil on carved wood by Alex Naszados.

oil on carved wood, by Alex Naszados

depicting St. Hildegard von Bingen

website: http://www.alexnaszados.com

oil on carved wood, by Alex Naszados

depicting St. Hildegard von Bingen

A look back at this summer's "Medieval Effigies" exhibit in Toronto.

Oil on carved wood, by Alex Naszados.

July, 2019
Deer Park Library, 40 St. Clair E.
Toronto, Canada

Thomas Adynet, wool merchant (1409),
Northleach, Cotswold District, Gloucestershire, England

oil on carved wood, 2019

Margaret de Walsokene (1349)
St Margaret’s Church, Kings Lynn, Norfolk

oil on carved wood, 2019
by Alex Naszados

alexnaszados.com

Sir George Felbrigge (1400)Church of St Mary
Playford, Suffolk

oil on carved wood, 2019
27” x 9”

by Alex Naszados

Lady Ellen Bernard (1451)

Church of St Andrew
Isleham, Cambridgeshire

oil on carved wood, 2019
by Alex Naszados
alexnaszados.com

The latest addition to the "Medieval Monuments", is based on the other effigy on Matilda Burghersh's tomb. Thomas Chaucer (1367-1434), husband of Matilda Burghersh and son of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer, is depicted with the unicorn from his crest at his feet.

oil on carved wood, 2019
27" x 9"
by Alex Naszados

based on the brass effigy of Thomas Chaucer (1367-1434), son of Geoffrey Chaucer at St. Mary the Virgin Church at Ewelme, South Oxfordshire District, Oxfordshire, England

oil on carved wood, 2019
by Alex Naszados

alexnaszados.com

oil on carved wood, 2019
by Alex Naszados

Before his death, Ralph Hamsterley commissioned this “memento mori” brass effigy.
It is now embedded in the floor of St. Andrew’s Church, in Oddington, Oxfordshire.

Above the macabre image of his own skeleton crawling with worms an inscription reads, “VERMIBUS HIC DONOR ET SIC OSTENDERE CONOR QUOD SICUT HIC PONOR: PONITOR OMNIS HONOR” (“Here I am, given to the worms, and thus I try to show, That as I am laid aside here so is all honour laid aside.”).

This video shows the process of interpreting the effigy in carved wood.

Ralph Hamsterely (d. 1518)
9” x 27”
oil on carved wood by Alex Naszados

Oil on carved wood, by Alex Naszados.
Based of the Lucca manuscript illumination of Vision 3, Book 3 of St. Hildegard of Bingen's Liber Divinorum Operum.

Commentary and translations are by Nathaniel M Campbell. Campbell's translation of the Liber Divinorum Operum ("The Book of Divine Works") is now available: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Fathers-Church-Medieval-Continuations/dp/0813231299

To view the full interview with Dr Wolfgang Smith, and for more articles about his work, including an upcoming documentary, “The End of Quantum Reality”, visit:
https://philos-sophia.org/

Graphics Sources:

Why is the Solar System Cosmically Aligned?: 
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~huterer/PRESS/CMB_Huterer.pdf

Journey to the Centre of the Universe:
https://gwwdvd.com/


LLSAstronomy:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGOYu6Hq3F2jZ08SnI7DP5A

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Created 6 years ago.

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