Dresden

Dresden was lovely today. The Christmas Market was fabulous, and I enjoyed the exhibits and the churches. Two pieces of art in particular really attracted me; I found them both most unusual for their “genre.”

The first “art experience” I really enjoyed was the first Protestant church we visited. From the outside of the building it looked like another usual old European church, but the inside caught me by complete surprise. I loved it. It was so grand yet so simple. For me, it was close to perfect. I felt like it captured some of the grandeur of God and his numinous qualities that is often expressed by the sheer size of the cathedrals. Unlike most other churches, however, this one didn’t have over-the-top décor and excess ornateness that I find distasteful. I think the simplicity of the interior probably added to my perception of its size, and I felt a bit of Otto’s “creature consciousness” that accompanies these large churches. The lighting was also wonderful, very soft and calming. And as I looked around the stucco-ed walls, the area underneath the balconies on either side of the building reminded me of the catacombs the early church met in. I felt very close to the origins of Christianity.

The other piece of art I liked more than I anticipated was Raphael’s Sistine Madonna. We have seen literally countless paintings of the Madonna and child on this trip, so I wasn’t expecting Raphael’s to be anything particularly special, besides the angels at the bottom. I was again caught by surprise. I loved his depiction of Mary and her baby; it is perhaps my favorite painting of Mary ever. What surprised me most was that they look so… normal. Let’s be honest, most paintings of the Madonna with child look a little strange. Baby Jesus’ body often looks way out of proportion or he looks like a small man. And Mary often has a strange forehead or whatnot. But Raphael, who painted in the middle of all these other paintings, portrayed them so “realistically.” And beyond that, I really like Mary’s expression. Her face showed a hint of fear and apprehension, which I thought was appropriate. She was a young mother who had the responsibility of raising God. And not only that, but she had to flee to Egypt when he was little and live amongst strangers. I would think Mary had a lot to “ponder in her heart.”

I find both of these works to be beautiful examples of sacred art. Not because they were religious, but because they presented truth and didn’t “depict beauty at the expense of holiness.”

eks