Last day in Palermo, catching the bus this afternoon to Trapani for a few days before our 9 day walk across the island starts. Just time to visit “Palazzo Abatellis” a 15c monastery with paintings.
Annunciation, one of those pictorial subjects that you keep seeing in christian art. I have always thought it a lovely idea which leads to touching pictures.
Here is a nice one, with Archangel Gabriel on the left holding a lily (purity, I think) and Mary studiously reading on the right. The kneeling angel makes a gesture indicating the announcement of her miraculous pregnancy, she smiles sweetly to indicate reception of the message. She is nearly always reading, a worthy religious text no doubt.But here, in the 12th century mosaic across two sides of the archway, she is spinning wool, I have never seeh her doing this before. Gabriel is handsomely clad and winged, though a bit chinless, Mary here looks doubtful to me, fearing the trials ahead perhaps.Here the announcement is accompanied by musical angels, Gabriel here looks doubtful (is she up to the trials?), Mary is extra modest with her hand to her throat, but seems quietly confident.This one seems mystical to me, the features being elongated, Gabriel looking very feminine, Mary with the hands both modest and surprised, very worried.And here is Gabriel in motion off-balance with flowing robes, all action, pointing to God above, Mary is static, receptive, demure. Model for femininity?Finally to the point of all this, the prize piece of this museum is this painting of Mary “annunciate”, you don’t see Gabriel, just Mary, all the emotion of the message expressed in her posture and expression. This is by Anatello da Messina.The other prize of the museum is this large mural of death on a pale horse firing arrows at his victims.Most of the dead are church dignitaries and aristocrats, those who thought they knew how to live in a way that freed them from death by religion or wealth.The survivors are hunters, poets, musicians, these people know death and expect him, so are spared (at least for now)A rather gorgeous hatAnd a fancy earring dangles as a singer tunes his lute.
And now to the bus stop for the 2 hour ride to Trapani.
