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Saturday, November 13, 2010

Pandora's paradox

>>>>>

You might have heard about the story of Pandora and/or the Pandora's box.

To sum up the story, Pandora, a beautiful woman bestowed with the multi-gifts (Pandora means "all the gifts" ) from the gods, was created by the Greek god, Hephaestus, through order made by Zeus. Pandora was given the box/jar containing difficult toil, pain, and sickness, etc., and she was to give these "gifts" to mankind.
It was due to Zeus's anger against Prometheus, who had stolen the fire from heaven and gave it to the humans.
Although Prometheus warned his brother, Epimetheus, not to accept any gifts from Zeus, Epimetheus received Pandora, and she opened this jar/box, and we the humans has been infested with the toil, pain, and disease.
Somehow within this jar/box was "hope'', and Pandora closed the lid just in time to keep the hope from escaping.

Now comes the problem...

This story is usually understood that since Pandora closed the lid, we have "hope" and not just the pain and sickness in the world, but...

If opening of the jar/box let the sickness, etc. out in the world but kept the hope within the jar/box, what is that mean? It can mean that hope is not released into the world... meaning, we have no hope!?!

If you are interested, please go to:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora
... and scroll down to the section, "Difficulties of interpretation."

What would you make of this story???????

Monday, September 6, 2010

The Fruits of Labor- The story of Adam and Eve

I hope you are enjoying this Labor Day.

I have been writing a book (in conjunction to my research on Leonardo da Vinci / the Holy Grail, etc) which requires me to research the Holy Scriptures (of Judeo-Christian Bible) in Hebrew, Aramaic, ancient Greek, Latin, etc. I am doing this as an artist-creator rather than a academic scholar, linguist (textual critic), sociologist... etc. I hope to complete this soon. Today, I would like to share with you my reflection of creation-labor via the story in Genesis.

First, I would like to ask you a question. What would you do and/or feel had one of your master pieces... be it a book, a painting, a CD (of your musical activity), a movie...etc took on the human personality and decided to "Hide" from you and from the entire universe because it is ashamed of its presence and ashamed of been seen and acknowledged by the universe? What if it feels that you've done a horrible job!?

Wouldn't you be sad or even be angry about such action/reaction on the part of your creation?

You see, to me, the theme of "Fall of Adam/Eve" is not about the "Original Sin" per se, but it has everything to do with the creation....ART!
Also, this theme of creation and the origin and the Originator of the Creation is the most important message in the Tanakh (Old Testament).

The beauty of the creation was "seen ( וירא )" and was acknowledged by its Creator as "Good ( טוב )."

Eve(Chavah-חוה)also "saw( ותרא )" the beauty in everything ...even in the fruits which may teach her what is unpleasant/not good. It is not the fair thing to accuse Eve of corrupting the universe, for she saw the goodness, pleasantness, and the beauty in Creation which was reflected by its Creator as Good...(...and NOT partially good nor consisting some good and some evil).
Besides, awakening to the awareness of: not good/ evil/ unpleasant feeling/ DEATH ...was only occurred after her eyes were opened due to eating/tasting of the fruit. She may have been innocent but not evil.
Also, Eve gave the fruit to Adam out of her love and kindness...and before her eyes were opened! She simply wanted to share the fruit with its beautiful appearance. That's all!
The Creation was good and the created saw it and "trusted" the goodness of his/her own within. Such "Visual" appreciation of creation sadly over-ruled/over-ridden the "Audio/auditory" command of the Creator.

Have you ever wondered: "Well, where were the angels and the beings that later interceded on behalf of humans back then? Why didn't they protect Adam and Eve... or warn specifically about the "cunning" aspect of the serpent before hand? Why didn't they ward off the serpent? 
Adam and Eve weren't sophisticated enough at this point. They may not have had the awareness of associating the idea of "not obeying the commandment" with the 'sin'.

My friends, it may have been due to the Great Plan of Creator. Adam and Eve had to go through the experience no other divine beings could imagine nor withstand at the time...namely, to experience the "separation" from its Creator, to have the individuality-Ego and to risk the direct connection, and to experience "death".

What were some of their assignments (other than the experience mentioned above)? ... To learn to create. To "taste" the hardship and joy of Labor.
...to Adam, it was the outer Labor and to Eve, it was the inner Labor.
In other words, Adam had to learn how to create via "touching" the objects (i.e., soil/water/tools)with his hands just as Elohim the Creator did when Adam was created.
Eve, on the other hand, had to learn how to create via "not touching with her hand", through pregnancy. Why inner creation from Eve? One of the reasons could be that she was not created out of the combination of dust/soil and the moisture as Adam was but born out of Adam. In other words, Eve was born from within. Perhaps it was also due to her superb ability to "feel" the words of Creator and answered the serpent that Creator warned them not only not to eat the fruits from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil but not even to "touch ( תגעו )" When Elohim commanded about the fruits and the trees, Eve was within Adam. She was not created yet per se.

This was one of the reasons why Yeshwa (Jesus) later tells Mary Magdalene not to "touch(approach)- ܬܬܩܪܒܝܢ " him. It had nothing to do with Mary being less than Jesus but to remind her of the "Original" event where Eve had to go through... to remind Mary of the words of Eve!

(I am not trying to be sexist here. The lessons of inner and outer creation could have been reversed/exchanged between Eve and Adam.)

At any rate, most of the creation/creative activities fall into the two I have mentioned above: inner and outer

Their(our)lessons were (are) to understand and to experience what it means to create... to complete, manifest, and to see the fruits of labor... and to appreciate the beauty of creation as the creators!

Friday, August 6, 2010

Creativity and inspiration: unfilfilled dreams

[Creativity and inspiration: unfilfilled dreams]







Creativity is vital to the act of creation.


When creativity is in concert with inspiration, it works wonder.


Yet, sometimes we can get stuck or feel stuck and uninspired to create from various reasons due largely to the life situations/circumstances.... illness, financial trouble, accidents, family situations...etc.


On the other hand, the great ideas and uplifting inspiration may seem to subside and dry up because the result is not apparent. In other words, sometimes the great projects requiring the help from the various sectors are not being met and fulfilled to continue and complete the projects.


...or the business is not recognized and not taking off as intended (even after the 3 years of the initial trial period). ..or the wonderful creations are not honored nor recognized... and bought...






When such outcome/situation continues, one may begin to feel hopeless and not wanting to continue/carry on.






I have been through that myself.






One day, during the middle 90s, I was watching a program on PBS where Les Brown, an inspirational speaker, was featured. Out of many wonderful message he had given that evening, one spoke to me deeply. It had to do with the growing of the Chinese bamboo tree. He said that it takes 5 years for the Chinese bamboo tree to grow, and yet, it does not break the ground and sprout for the first 5 years. After that, the tree can grow 90 feet tall in 40 so days! He was reminding us that for the first 5 years, we cannot see the result! Had we stop watering and nurturing the ground where the seeds are growing just because we cannot see the sprout/result, the tree would have died!






It is also like the making of a bread. If we keep opening the oven or wherever the bowl is kept, the bread cannot rise.


...or like the pregnancy. It requires time and patience.






It requires trust in your own inner voice.






We can learn from Cain and Abel story.


Cain offered to Elohim what he has created by tilling the soil just as his father, Adam, was told, following the family tradition.


Abel just offered the lamb after tending the lambs, as a shepherd. He used the creative idea instead of hard creative labor of gardening.


As we all know that the offering of Abel was accepted but not of Cain's.






Perhaps Elohim liked the offering of Abel, for it was not altered nor interfered with the act of creation via human elements. One can say that while Cain exercised the microcosmic creative expression of human ego (but not being able to creatively break away from the inherited family tradition), Abel respected the creation and the creature of Elohim as is without using his ego.






As an artist and/or musician, performer, one can experience Abel and Cain...the acceptance and the rejection of the artistic offerings.We can also, in turn, accept or reject the outcome.






Again, it may take years until the people would begin to accept certain art works. As long as we give them the impression that the creation we are offering are not what they want nor what they need, we cannot blame them for not accepting and recognizing. As long as we push our ego outwardly to be in someone's face, we can expect the rejection.






The answer may be in the harmony between Cain and Abel.. the harmony between the "expression of creative self" and the "path of soul."






Once I was told by a Vedic astrology guru that the expression of self is different from the path of soul.


He also told me that most of the time doing art is just doing your job. He pointed to himself by saying that however good he may be, doing astrology alone is not going to make gods happy, for he is just doing his job just as anybody else.






But...


He has added that if one can show the path/way to divine (which is the natural yearning of souls), then the heaven would be very happy.






I fully agree.






All the creative people have been given the gift of power to create.


We must use such power in service to the divine... and to pay forward...

Saturday, July 17, 2010

North Wind and the Sun

[[North Wind and the Sun]] 

In Waldorf/Steiner schools, the story telling (fairy tales /. fables) is very important. Many of the teachers would even write their own.

Today, I would like to share one of my favorite stories with you with my addition at the end (in attempt to bring some sort of the resolution/redemption).
It is to do with the story of the North Wind and the Sun...and this is the way I remember the way my mother had told me (...and added some variation to it...). In other words, this may not be the version you know of...

Once upon a time, there were a North Wind and the Sun , and as energetic and proud as he was, the North Wind decided to challenge the Sun. "You are always smiling and content, so I want to challenge you."  The Sun kept smiling back. "You see over there...?" ..the North Wind pointed towards a man who was walking in the field , wearing a dark, long coat. "I want to challenge you that whom-ever can make him take off his coat shall be declared a winner!....so what say you?"  The Sun kept smiling...which upset the North Wind even more, so he swiftly went to work.... He blew and blew the most awesome, cold wind at this man hoping to blow his coat away from him. But the more the North Wind blew, the tighter he grasped the coat to the point that this man became like a frozen rock...one with the coat! Eventually, the North Wind stopped from exhaustion...."I give up!" said the North Wind exasperatedly.... Meanwhile, the Sun is still smiling....which irritated the North Wind even more and told the Sun...'"Let's see how you do it...that is if you can...????"
So, it came to be the Sun's turn. He just smiled and began to send out to this poor freezing man the most gentle warm ray filled with light. It not only warmed this man but gave birth to the flowers around him and the birds began to sing. Soon or later, this man was surrounded with the beauty and warmth.  Eventually,  it became too warm ...too hot to keep wearing the coat...so he gladly took off the coat with the smile in his face.
The Sun then turned to the North Wind....and he just smiled....
The North Wind was devastated..not just because he did lose...(he didn't care too much for that by then)...he was devastated of witnessing the true power of the Sun...its gentle, effortless quality that could disarm a man....the North Wind realized the Sun's supreme power....and felt that he was no match to the ability of the Sun.

(my addition)

He told the Sun...."I have lost, and I am lost. What's the use? I do not belong here...there is no place for me....everyone respects me but hates me!"
He was sad...for his best effort and his ability did not come to fruition.....and not appreciated.
The Sun kept smiling, and spoke to him gently..."Dear friend, lift your eyes and see. I cannot take the credit for giving warm, gentle rays, for had it been only me and my power, I would have burned this man's coat through and his surroundings. 
"It was she." ...pointing to the beautiful lady, Mother(Earth)... "It was her veil that embraced this man and his surrounding and  protected them from my rays. It was she who took her own veil off to shield off my rays partially so that my rays will not touch this man harshly...."  
The North Wind was touched. He was touched for her kindness, but also for the Sun's integrity and honesty....but inside of him was still sad....for he still did not feel that he belong to this environment. 
Then the gentle Sun added, "Dear friend, she need you now."
The North Wind looked up in wonder, for he could not understand what the sun was saying.

"She need you now because look at her shoulder..." as the Sun pointing to her red shoulder and continued, "Because she took off her veil to protect this man, she did receive my scorching ray fully and suffering from the burn. If you gently breathe out upon her, it will sooth her burn.. You see my friend, we all are necessary....we all have our places."

The North Wind smiled. :D

Friday, July 2, 2010

Exercises for cultivating the Imagination

[Exercises for cultivating the Imagination]

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein

What is imagination?

When you open up Wiki, it states that imagination "is the ability of forming mental images, sensations and concepts, in a moment when they are not perceived through sight, hearing or other senses. Imagination is the work of the mind that helps create fantasy. Imagination helps provide meaning to experience and understanding  to knowledge; it is a fundamental facility through which people make sense of the world,  and it also plays a key role in the learning  process." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imagination)

One needs not to be an artist to use imagination. As a matter of fact, we all have the faculty to imagine. When we daydream, we use imagination. The parents can imagine the smile of their children while they are shopping for the birthday gifts. The children are wonderful at imagining the special friends, places, heroes and heroins...
When we read books, especially the theatrical works and dramas, we hear the character "speaking" within our mind. Hamlet may have a certain voice. A little prince may have completely different one from Alice.

In the world of art, during the 20th century, we have encountered many artworks with rich in imagination. Franz Marc had painted the animals with the colors not usually seen in the natural world. Cubists tried to paint the pictures having multiple view points at once. ...so on and so forth.

One of the exercises I have introduced to my students at the Waldorf/Steiner high schools was derived from the special exercises used especially in the lower-middle school level called, the Form Drawing/Formenzeichnen.
One of the basic exercises of the form drawing is to do with the mirror image. One would draw a certain curved "line" on one side of the paper and try to draw the mirror imaged shape of the same "line" on the other side. The form drawing can become very complex, certainly cultivates the imagination of the children.

Nowadays, we can download a image converter software and, with a click, one can flip the image either vertically or horizontally. The exercises I have developed would let our mind use our imagination instead of the software to do the same (eventually).

One can expand this visual imagination exercise to the even more complex one... to imagine what others may be feeling and thinking "without projecting ourselves onto the others". In other words, we have the faculty to objectively observe the reality and also to be in someone's shoe, so to speak. We can shift our view points and see the world with the different eyes and from the different view points.

We know of the great mural of "The Last Supper" of Leonardo da Vinci. One thing is to ponder about the identities and the gender of the disciples, but to me, we would be doing much more service to the humanity when and if we can use our imaginative faculty to imagine what each disciple is seeing in such traumatic environment. What is James' visual field? What is he seeing? What is Judas seeing? ...etc...

What are human beings seeing every moment?
How are the others seeing us?

...something to ponder about...

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Why is the Pagan, "The School of Athens" fresco relevant in the Vatican?(part 3)

[Why is the Pagan, "The School of Athens" fresco relevant in the Vatican?(part 3)]

In a blog, I have to limit myself to write the short version of the same thing I would have if I were to write a book. I may be, therefore, accused of over simplification.

Let us ponder about the common denominator among the three: Apelles, Heraclitus, and the goddess Diana (Artemis).

They all have something to do with Ephesus. A great temple of Diana/Artemis in Ephesus, one of the 7 wonders of the world, was rebuilt many times, once after the flood, and again after being burnt by Herostratus, and after being destroyed by Goths, and so on.
One of the curious characteristics of the statue has to do with the lady having the multiple breasts. One reason could be that she was there to feed and to nurture the hungry (souls).

Apelles, the legendary painter, had first studied with the teacher, Ephorus of Ephesus. The legend has that his portrait painting of Alexander the Great was at the temple of Diana.

Heraclitus, a pre-Socratic philosopher known for the idea of the union of the opposite, Logos, and the eternal fire, was a native of Ephesus, although he being a aristocratic decent, hated the common people of Ephesus. He also had said : "To God all things are beautiful, good, and right. Men, on the other hand, deem some things right and others wrong."
(citation: http://community.middlebury.edu/~harris/Philosophy/Heraclitus.html)

Now let us "baptize" these elements.

It is interesting to note that the above quote reminds us of Genesis, where Elohim, after examining the creation, proclaim(s) that it is good, and later, Adam and Eve eat the fruit from the Knowledge of Good and Evil (right and wrong).

Heraclitus spoke of Logos and the fire as the essential element. Logos is mentioned and understood differently by the different philosophers, but it was later equated as Christos/Christ, and there is the mentioning of the baptism by the fire in Matthew 3:11. In Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist spoke of a being who will baptize everyone with the Holy Spirit( Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ ) and the fire. In John 14:16-17, the Holy Spirit as the comforter (παράκλητον /parakleton) is mentioned by Jesus.  Later, at the Pentecost, the tongues of fire also appears to the disciples.

Finally, let us contemplate about Diana. In Christianity, the figure of Charity is often breast feeding the ones in need, but if we look again at the image, Diana is not the one who is sitting on the throne. The throne itself has the two images of Diana. This lady who sits on such throne is Sophia, a being of Wisdom, similar yet different from Athena-Minerva.
It is interesting to know that when the temple of Diana was destroyed for the last time by the Christians, the remnants from the temple were actually used in Constantinople and especially for the columns for Hagia Sophia, the great Byzantine Church! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Artemis )

The name "Hagia Sophia" means the "Holy Wisdom"; therefore, from such point of view, this lady in the ceiling tondo may represents, not only the pre-Christian Greek wisdom, but the Baptized Wisdom as well, especially of the Eastern (Greek Orthodox/Byzantine)Churches.

(It is also interesting to note that in 1453, Constantinople fell to the invasion by Ottoman Empire, and the flood of the Greek refugees came to "Italy", so perhaps, this fresco may be paying homages to the brother Empire, although the Byzantine Empire and the Roman Catholic "empire" were not necessary friendly towards each other during the Middle Ages.)

So, this fresco of "The School of Athens" along with the "Philo-Sophia" tondo on the ceiling represents the elements that were sort of the prefiguration of Christianity, thus relevant in the Vatican.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Why is the Pagan, "The School of Athens" fresco relevant in the Vatican?(part 2)

[Why is the Pagan, "The School of Athens" fresco relevant in the Vatican?(part 2)]

In the previous posting, I have introduced some of the reasons why this fresco abundant with the pagan theme was commissioned and accepted by the Vatican. In this posting, I would like to dig a little deeper. At the end of the previous posting, I have posed the question: "What is Plato pointing at?"

Let us examine this.

We can see that Plato is pointing upwards. This gesture of using the index finger may suggest that he is directing the viewer towards something important. This gesture can be seen in the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci. Saint Thomas in "The Last Supper" and the enigmatic figure in what is known as "St. John the Baptist" are making the similar gestures.
Above Plato, there are 3 window like openings, and we can see the sky. Number 3, of course, can suggest the Holy Trinity.

Nevertheless, I feel that there are even more important elements placed beyond these 3 openings at the top of this fresco. I have mentioned before that there are ceiling paintings beyond the fresco walls.  There is a tondo fresco directly above "The School of Athens" fresco showing a lady sitting on the throne holding the two books with each titled, "Moralis" and "Naturalis". These two books correspond with the two books, "Timeo/Timaeus" and "Etica/Ethics", held by Plato and Aristotle. ("Moralis" = "Ethics / "Naturalis" = "Timaeus")
She is a personification of Philosophy or Sophia (Wisdom) herself. Behind her, there are some Latin words inscribed on the two panels carried by the children: "CAVSARVM COGNITIO (Causarum Cognitio) / the Knowledge of the Causes
Her golden throne has the two sculptures showing the Goddess Diana with many breasts. Diana is a Roman name for the Greek Goddess Artemis, and she is a virgin moon goddess. Moon "reflects" the sun light as we reflect with our reason.
She is gazing towards her right. Her eyes are looking slightly above. Although there are many fresco panels on the ceiling, she seems to be not looking at any of them.
Because the ceiling is curved, the direction/"path" of her gaze also curves like the bullet trajectory, and it would eventually end at the center of the fresco, "Parnassus." There is Apollo at the upper center of this fresco, and Apollo is a Greco-Roman sun god. He is gazing above as if to meet the gaze of Diana.

Are any of these elements relevant in the Vatican? Considering how Catholic Christians had been zealously destroying the pagan idols since the establishing of the new state religion in the Roman Empire, it may seem quite odd to see this much pagan elements in the center of the Catholic religion.

If you are careful, you can observe an oddity in "The School of Athens".

I would like you to focus onto a man who is sitting in the foreground, the lower left side of the fresco from the viewer, contemplating and holding a pen to write something on the paper. He seems to be isolated from the rest and/or indifferent or oblivious to the others and the events surrounding him. If you pay attention to his feet, you can see that he is wearing the boots. While all the others are either wearing the sandals or being barefooted, this fellow is not. The legend says that the model for this figure is Michelangelo and the person portrayed here is the great Heraclitus.
Heraclitus was from the aristocratic family, and he was a misanthropist. The one who proclaimed that "all things are ever in a state of flux" was also a pessimist.   Nevertheless, he was a great philosopher who had discovered the existence of Logos, the organizing principle which brings order to the universe, so to speak. While Thales considered the water as the essential element and Anaximenes, the air, Heraclitus considered the fire as the essence and equated with Logos. This fire seems to be the fire that consumes the universe to destroy it in order to renew it as the Phoenix.
This figure of Heraclitus was not included in the original cartoon of the fresco, and it was later added before the fresco was completed.
It is interesting to note that you can draw a line connecting Heraclitus and Philo-Sophia via Plato's raised right hand.

If you turn to the right corner of the fresco, you can see the young Raphael posed as the legendary Greek painter, Apelles. The Renaissance painters sometimes placed themselves in the paintings as the participant and /or the witness. Apelles was a court painter to both King Philip of Macedon and King Alexander the Great. King Philip was King Alexander's father.

There happens to be a common denominator amongst Heraclitus, Apelles, and the two figures (Goddess Diana x 2) of the throne of Philo-Sophia.

What then, is this common denominator?
(...to be continued...)

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Why is the Pagan, "The School of Athens" fresco relevant in the Vatican?

[Why is the Pagan, "The School of Athens" fresco relevant in the Vatican?]

I have mentioned briefly during my previous post that Aristotle was incorporated into the Catholic theology by Saint Thomas Aquinas. In fact, when I was studying the history of western philosophy, I remember hearing that Aristotle's philosophy was "baptized" by Saint Thomas Aquinas.

It is interesting to observe that this fresco is facing another fresco depicting the Christian theological dispute titled,"Disputa."
While some have placed the themes of these two fresco as rivaling or opposing, I hold the exact opposite stand point. As the old philosophy was "baptized," and the new churches were built on the old sacred sites, the Greco-Roman philosophy became the ground/soil where the early Christianity had sprouted. In fact, Saint Paul, in his speech, recognized the magnanimous hearts of the ancient Greeks who had built the alter for "the unknown god" (Acts 17:23).

Many things can be said about the importance of this fresco from the point of view of the 15th/16th century Catholic theology, but today, I would like to be selective and point out only a few things.

Because the way the perspective is used, it is very easy for us to focus onto the two central figures, Plato and Aristotle.
First of all, how do we know that these are Plato and Aristotle?
If you pay attention to the books they are holding, you can get the sort of the hint. An older looking person is holding a book with the inscribed title, "Timeo (Timaeus/Timaios)," and the younger looking person is holding a book with the title, "Etica (Nicomachean Ethics)."
"Timaeus" is one of the dialogues of Plato, and "Nicomachean Ethics" is one of the several works on ethics by Aristotle. It is very interesting to point that "Timaeus" mentions about the creation of the universe by "demiurge," a Divine presence. Through "Nicomachean Ethics", Aristotle expressed how to be ethically virtuous. If we pay attention to the gestures of the two, Plato is pointing upwards with his right hand, and Aristotle is pointing downwards with his right hand thus creating sort of upward and downward movements. At the same time, Plato's pointing index finger may represent the singularity (of the Divine = one god), and Aristotle's open hand may represents the multiplicity (many men/women)thus forming the one and the many relationship.
Plato is known for his philosophy on Idea-lism and the dualism (i.e., body and soul), while Aristotle is known for his Categories and Metaphysics.

Without going into detail of rather complex philosophy of the two, and just by observing their gestures and the two books in this fresco, we can see the correlation to Christian theology (of pre-reformation 15th/16th century "Italy").
"Timaeus" held by Plato points to the creator (demiurge/god), and Plato is, in fact, pointing upwards. The book is held vertically, thus suggesting the vertical relationship between the creator and the creation below. One of the major themes in the biblical scriptures is to remember where we have come from and who is the Creator of this universe.
If this idea is "baptized", then, it would lead to one of the two most important commandments given by Jesus: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind." (Luke:10:27 / King James)

"Ethics" held by Aristotle, with his right hand with its palm open to suggest the many, points downwards to the humanity amongst the universe. He asks, "How can the humans be happy?" The answer leads to the practical life lived (practiced) with virtue. Ethics is related to all of us that is equal under the Creator. The book is held horizontally, and it is suggesting the horizontal relationships of the humanity.
If this idea is "baptized", it may lead to the second commandment by Jesus: "...and (love)thy neighbour as thyself." (Ibid)

While "Timaeus" connects evil with the physical body and admitting the existence of the essence of evil that cannot be overcome by effort (will) nor the power of reason (nous) alone, "Nicomachean Ethics" disagree with such view and puts evil back to our responsibility and, in a way, rejects the idea of Platonic view of the inevitability of evil.
If we "baptize" these ideas, the Platonic evil can be understood from the point of view of the original sin where the grace from Divine alone may be able to transform such condition. The Aristotelian evil can be prevented or overcome by following the 10 Commandments, etc.

Furthermore, if we superimpose the images of these two books (placed vertically and horizontally), we have the symbolic "cross".


As we can see that even if we limit ourselves to the observation of the gestures of the two central figures, we can make the connection to the Catholic theology of.

...then, my next question is: "What is Plato pointing at?"
(...to be continued)

Monday, June 7, 2010

"The School of Athens"

["The School of Athens"]

I have mentioned in the previous blog that "The School of Athens" predominantly shows the well known ancient Greek philosophers.

Have you ever wondered why the pre-Christian 'Pagan' school of philosophy is allowed to be on the Signature Room wall of the Vatican? ... and not only that the tondo ceiling painting is also depicting the Pagan theme?

As I have said before in my blog, in order to be fair, we must see the mural from the point of view of the ones who had envisioned and commissioned to Raphael.
When we study about the Renaissance paintings, we must never forget that most of them were the commissioned paintings. The so called, artists, back then were more like the artisan/craftsman. They took the commissions to live. As a matter of fact, the commissions needed the final approval of the clients. At the same time, the nature of each commission is the so called, "made to order." The clients did 'order' what to paint. They even specified what sort of the color and the pigment they want the painters to use! There is an evidence of the copy of the original contract between a client and Ghirlandaio (one of the Master teachers of Michelangelo) where a client specifies what pigment to be used!

(..from the actual contract between Domenico Ghirlandaio and the Prior of the Spedele degli Innocenti)

"...and he must colour the panel at his own expense with good colours and with powdered gold on such ornaments as demand it,  with any other expense incurred on the same panel, and the blue must be ultramarine of the value about four florins the ounce..."

(citation: page 6, "Painting and Experience in Fifteenth Century Italy" by Michael Baxandall / Oxford University Press  1972)


If the painter fail to comply after signing the contract, he is subjected to the litigation. If the client is the Church, one can face the inquisition and the death penalty (burnt at the stake after being subjected to the torture)!!!!

So, it is obvious that the client, in this case, Pope Julius II, and Raphael's Papal advisers had approved the fresco, and the subsequent Popes as well. I say this because there is the case with Michelangelo where the later Pope (Pope Pius IV) had ordered the lesser known painter, Daniele da Volterra, to over paint the unacceptable portions of the original mural.
We have to keep in mind that during those eras, unless one has the extensive theological knowledge (as Fra Angelico, who was a painter and a revered Dominican monk) and the wit to convince or persuade the Papal court, a painter remained as a simple tool for the court to manifest their visions.

Then, why did the Pope commissioned Raphael to paint this fresco and the tondos above?
What is the relation/connection between the Vatican / Catholic Christianity and the ancient Greek (Pagan) philosophy/philosophers?

If this was the painting of or about Aristotle, it is easier to understand, for the philosophy of Aristotle was highly valued and incorporated into the theology of Catholic Christianity by Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), the Dominican Angelic Doctor of the Church who is considered one of the most important Catholic Theologians.

We shall explore on this in the future.
Thank you!

Friday, June 4, 2010

Male or Female?

[Male or Female?]

Please take a good look at these 2 images.
Can you tell me the gender of these 2 figures?
(I am sure that if you have studied the Art history, you already know the answers.)
Male? or Female?
By the way, if you have kindly answered on the wall section of my facebook profile, I thank you very much!
Very well then, let us begin with the image A.

If you have thought that this is a male figure, you are correct.
At the same time, if you have thought that this is a female figure, you are correct, too!
How so? How can a person be both male and female?
This, of course, would require an explanation.

First of all, this image (A) is from one of the four fresco murals titled, "The School of Athens," and it was painted by Raphael(Raffaello Sanzio). It was painted between 1510-1511 in the Stanza della Segnatura of the Vatican. The theme of this fresco can be Philosophy (pre-Christian), and it is situated directly under the tondo(round)-fresco titled, “Causarum Cognitio(Cognition/Knowledge of Causes).”
As a matter of fact, most of the characters in this fresco are the ancient Greek philosophers with the two beings, Plato and Aristotle, towering at the central portion of the fresco. The legend has it that the model of Plato was Leonardo da Vinci, whom Raphael adored.
The image A in question is from the lower left(of the viewer)section of this fresco.
If you feel that the gender of this being is not necessary clear, you have the point, for the male model is used to portray the female character. Using a male model for a female is not so surprising, for Michelangelo is known for that.
In the world of music, the role of soprano used to be played by a male singer (counter tenor and castrato).

The name of the model is Francesco Maria Della Rovere, an actual historical figure. Francesco was the nephew of Giuliano della Rovere (Pope Julius II).
The character portrayed here is Hypatia, a well known female ancient Greek scholar from Alexandria (..who was brutally murdered by the fanatic early Christian mobs). According to a legend, she had remained a virgin and rejected the 'carnal desires.' She had lectured boldly as if she were a man.

Let us move onto the image B. If you have thought that this is a male figure, you are correct. This image is the part of one of the four fresco murals I have mentioned above in the Stanza della Segnatura, and the title is "Disputa (Disputation of the Holy Sacrament)." While the upper half of this mural is depicting the Biblical personages, the lower part consists of the historical personages. In here, the figure in question is portrayed as Francesco Maria Della Rovere himself, and he is standing next to Bramante, a Papal court appointed architect, who happens to be the relative of Raphael.

Now you have the answers. Now we are ready to explore a figure in Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper." ...and that will be discussed in the future blog of mine...
Thank you friends!

Monday, May 31, 2010

Abstract vs Abstraction

Abstract vs Abstraction

During the time spent teaching at the Waldorf high school, I have introduced the exercises of abstraction and also the abstract expression.

It was Piet Mondrian, who had differentiated the abstract art from other art forms resulting from abstraction.
I could relate to such differentiation, for abstraction is due to making of something which exist as a tangible form into more simpler form without losing the main characteristics of such form. It is the process of "reduction," so to speak. Many of Picasso's works may fall into this category. In other words, the abstraction art depends on the existence of the concrete form.

Abstract art, on the other hand, does not rely on the existence of an actual, concrete form. For example, an idea and/or one's feeling, can be expressed with color(s) and form(s).
What would an idea of "courage" look like if one were to paint it without depending on the scene of some heroic being fighting his/her enemies? How would one express the feeling of sadness or anxiety purely in color(s)?
In a way, pure abstract art may come close to the essence of what the artist wants to express. It is, indeed, the Socratic exercise.

Ironically for Mondrian, his process of arriving at his now famous pure geometrical forms may have been originated in the reduction/abstraction of the existing forms, say, the trees, for example.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

"Honey, could you pass me a fork?"

("Honey, could you pass me a fork?")

If I tell you that such request could not have been possible during the time of Leonardo's last years in France, would you believe it?
The fact is that the forks were introduced to France by Catherine de Medici in 1533 when she married Henry II. That was 14 years after the death of Leonardo! It also seems that the forks were not widely used until 16th Century in "Italy." (http://www.hospitalityguild.com/History/history_of_the_fork.htm)

Now the question is: "How many of you have wondered what those people were using as the utensils instead of the forks?  Well, that seemingly very innocent and perhaps even imaginative inquiry may carry the bias/prejudice within. ...if we were to consider that the fork is the valuable object. Furthermore, if we were to even think (or feel) that those people back then were barbaric for not using(or even knowing about) the forks to eat, then the prejudice becomes evident. ...and this is one of the aspects of the human consciousness that we must be careful to observe and deal with when we are researching the human history.

I have already mentioned in the earlier blog that the study of the human history is the study of the history/evolution of human consciousness. The above example shows that what we possess as the modern/contemporary consciousness may not be the same in the different time periods. While we have the consciousness that involves the use of the cell phone to call someone and/or the laptop to send the email via internet to communicate globally, it is not the same consciousness of 50 years ago when the people communicated by using the telephone (land line) or sending the telegram. There were no consciousness of recycling (of the plastic) or car-pooling 75 years ago. 

What I mean by consciousness is much more than simply having the concept or awareness. It is something which is embedded much deeper into our psyche. It may also include the habitual way of thinking. Many of us may set the alarm clock to wake up on the certain time of the day. "To set the alarm clock to wake up" is the modern consciousness. Many of the painters would go to the art supply store to obtained the "paints in the tubes", while the painters during the Renaissance having no such consciousness, for they had to mix the pigments with the emulsion/vehicles to create their own paints. We can go on and on about the examples.

In order to get to know the era where Leonardo da Vinci had lived, we must first erase our memory and bring our consciousness as close to that era as possible. Moreover, depends on what part of Leonardo's biography we are going to research, we may even have to erase the part of our memory concerning Leonardo. In other words, if we are going to study about "The Last Supper," we have to imagine and consider the person who has not yet painted "Mona Lisa." We are educated, so we already know what Leonardo had done. We know of Leonardo as a person who had completed his biological/physical life. That in-itself may hider us from trying to know Leonardo who was still living. ...and in order to know about the contemporary world of Leonardo, we need to consider the civilization, the culture, the people, of that time having no knowledge about the world to come. The people who lived around the time when Leonardo had commenced the painting of "The Last Supper" (approx. 1495AD) mural did not know about the U.S.A, for Columbus had just re-discovered the continent a few years back. Raphael, who was only 12 years old then, was not yet known to the people as the great painter of Madonna and the child, and he had just lost his father a year before or so. Reformation (Protestantism)was unheard of. The people could not buy the printed Bible...so on and so forth... 
We must, in a way, forget everything we know since 1495 in order to be closer to the consciousness of the people back then. Also, we may have to forget the world history from other cultures (and/or the 'foreign cultures' all together), for the common people in that period/era were not necessary informed/educated enough to know what we already know of the ancient cultures, geography, mythologies, etc.

We need to see the world through their eyes and their consciousness.

We need to encounter them as if for the first time.

We must grow with them and walk along the path they are(were) treading.

Whenever I have taught the art/music history to my high school students, I have introduced the simple exercise. It has everything to do with the attempt to "erase the memory of the contemporary civilization/culture."

So, let us do the simple exercise. Close your eyes and sit comfortably. A little by little, by going backwards in time, try to erase the memory of what we know as "our" culture. Erase the laptops, iPods, facebook, cell phones, Academy Awards, sushi, psychoanalysis, cars, airplanes, televisions, radios, World Wars, light bulbs, steam engines, French Revolutions, Beethoven, Shakespeare, printed books, .... until you come to that particular era where people dressed in such and such clothes and did such and such for living, etc. Hold that scene in your mind. Look around you. Walk around the town. ...and be among them as one of them and not as the visitor...

Now, what do you see?

Friday, May 21, 2010

Fairness in judging the history

(Fairness in judging the history)

The study of the human history is far more complex than the study of the history of nature. It is the study of the history (evolution) of human consciousness reflecting the development of mental, intellectual, cognitive faculties (...and much more). It is also the study of both individual and collective human psycho-emotional development. Each era may gift us or challenge us in some new ways, and as a matter of fact, we may adopt/adapt to the new situation/ideas or reject them.

When we do the research, especially to do with the human history, first and foremost, it is essential to put ourselves in the shoes of the people of that ear/period. We need to be able to think and feel as the people of those eras might have done and not just transplanting ourselves (our contemporary mind) into those eras as we are.

As soon as we try to evaluate the history by applying our 20th/21st Century mentality/mind set, we are in danger of introducing something very foreign to the historical period(s) in question. We may be unwittingly introducing the bias, prejudice, and/or values only relevant to us.
During our century, we have been awakened/re-awakened (introduced )to the many new ideas through the different movements. Within the artistic movements alone, the people had to readjust our ideas about art.

For example, we are too educated and informed compared to the majority of the common people in the 15th Century Europe, the time of Leonardo da Vinci. Back then, Italy was not yet united as an independent country as we know today. Although the illiteracy maybe the problem today, back then, it was far worse.

In the coming blog, I will introduce one of the exercises I have done with my students.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

International Exhibition 2010 Surrealism Now

(SURREALISM NOW)

I am very happy and honored to be included in this wonderful exhibition. My deep appreciation and congratulations to Santiago Ribeiro-san, Bissaya Barreto Foundation, and the fellow artists who are participating in this exhibition!   (Hikaru)

BISSAYA BARRETO FOUNDATION
 Surrealism Now, INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
BISSAYA BARRETO MUSEUM HOUSE
SANT´ANNA CONVENT, COIMBRA, PORTUGAL, EUROPEAN UNION

Open 20th of May, 18:30,  until 30th of June 2010
Idealization and coordination: Santiago Ribeiro

Institutional support: Intervention Brigade

SURREALISM NOW
Bissaya Barreto Foundation
Idealization and coordination: Santiago Ribeiro
Institutional support: Intervention Brigade

Exhibitions, Portugal, 20 May 2010
International Exhibition 2010 Surrealism NOW
The Bissaya Barreto Foundation will open to the public, on 20th May, at 18:30, an International surrealism NOW exhibition
The exhibition will take place in Bissaya Barreto Museum House and Sant´Anna Convent in Coimbra, Portugal, European Union.
Also online exhibition connected.


Participant artists:

Otto Rapp, Oleg Korolev, Daniel Hanequand, Ton Haring, Viktor Safonkin, Peter van Oostzanen, Hikaru Hirata, Patricia van Lubeck, Dean Fleming, Christhopher Klein, Sergey Barkosky, Larkin, Carlos Aguado, Sonja Tines, Gerardo Gomez, Lv Shang, Alessandro Bulgarini, Pedro Diaz Cartes, Elizabeth Pantano, Egill Ebsen,Octavian Florescu, Dan Lydersen, Pavel Surma, Krzysztof Wlodarski (Kali), Shahla Rosa, Sampo Kaikkonen, Miguel Ruibal, Jo Rizo, Ludmila, Lourenço Gonçalves, Sergey Tyukanov, Mehriban Efendi, Carlos Godinho, Victor Lages, Meme, Hector Pineda, Gromyko Semper, Slavko Krunic, Adam Scott Miller, Roland Heyder, Vu Huyen Thuong, Santiago Ribeiro, Keith Wigdor.
more:
Fernando Araujo, Carel Verelgh, Maciej Hoffman, Nadide Gürcüoğlu, Rui Cunha, Francisco Urbano, Mirek Antoniewicz, João Duarte, Nazareno Stanislau, Rudolf Boelee, Madrigal Arcia, Ignacio Casanovas, Dijana Iva Sesartic.

link: http://internationalexhibition2010.weebly.com/int-exh-2010-artists.html



During the Exhibition, slides of paintings will be viewed on LCD screens from artists taking part in online exhibition present in this site:
http://internationalexhibition2010.weebly.com/index.html


Also, during the Exhibition, a list of online participant artists will be shown.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

"Checking In"

(Checking In)
 
The Thursday faculty meetings at the school (Shining Mountain Waldorf) I used to work, after I have joined the College of Teachers (the core faculty members), lasted about 6 to 7 hours. First, I would attend the High school meeting, and then I would go off to the all school meeting, and finally, I would attend the College of Teacher meeting. This last meeting may become longer if we had to meet with the Board of Trustees. We adopted the "Consensus decision -making" system, so that each one of us was responsible for our decision.

I've loved the High school meetings and the College of Teacher meetings. I cannot go into the details, but what I liked about these meetings is that we did the exercise called, "Checking In," in the beginning of each meeting.  
The faculty members were asked to share the mental/emotional state we were in that day (or that given moment) in the unique way, and we would go around answering.  The facilitator(s) would choose the metaphorical theme for that day and ask, for example, "What would your feeling(your mental state) be if your were to describe (express) it as the type of a flower?"  
I remember once, we've had to describe our feelings by referring to the lyrics from the classical rock music... and we had to sing the appropriate lines!
I like the fact that the creativity was actively incorporated into the otherwise "could be dry/cold" meetings. 

This may sound strange, but I miss those meetings from time to time even though some of the meetings were very intense!

So, how was your day like if you were to describe it as the shape of the cloud? ...mine?  It would be "Cirrocumulus cloud," high up in the atmosphere.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Leonardo da Vinci and his Notebooks

[Leonardo's notebooks]

I have already mentioned in the earlier blog post that one of the reasons why Leonardo wrote in the mirror imaged manner was due to the fact that it was kinetically natural and convenient for a left handed person as he was.

The notebooks may have been used to sketch out his thoughts with the words and the images, so he can re-read them, in case he has forgotten, so it was not in the finalized form.
Leonardo entrusted the notebooks to Melzi to be possibly edited and published as a sort of an encyclopedia.
The content has not always to do with the "secret" discovery nor the important ideas  for the inventions. It was used as the simple and elaborated memos. It contained the personal accounting information and the complaint about his adopted son, Salai, as well.

I feel that he was not worried about the contents being read, understood, or stolen, for not many had the genius/intelligence/imagination to keep up with his ideas. It was rather that the "misunderstanding" and the "misconception" of the content may have made him weary.

It is true that Leonardo's notebooks contained the images of the new weapons, the architectural renderings, and the engineering ideas. Those were not in the final form. In order for many of these larger projects to be carried out and manifested, he needed the backing from the people like the Duke who can supply the man power and provide the financial support, etc. To ask the Duke for such help, Leonardo needed to convince or persuade the Duke, and it had to be in the Duke's advantage; therefore, the presentation was crucial. The reason why Leonardo kept these notebooks-journals-memos to himself is very simple: the content is not in the final, complete, articulated form.
For someone to have the access to his unpolished, 'premature' writings would possibly be lead to the misunderstanding... especially if the one who is reading lacks the imagination and the intelligence.
Any smart writers would not share the plot of the thriller prematurely.
Not many comedians would tell a unpolished joke. It is normal to keep the ideas from the general public until it can be organized and made presentable. Even with such careful presentation, there are no guarantee that people would not misunderstand it.

{I usually do not show my sketches or my notebooks (There are many!) to the people. It is not because I am secretive or being afraid that some might be inclined to steal my ideas, etc. I just don't want my ideas to be prematurely disclosed and misunderstood.}

He may have hid his notes because it was not written well. Some scholars feel that Leonardo was not necessary gifted with the words. And they feel that ... (to be continued...)

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Mona Lisa Smile and sfumato

"Mona Lisa Smile and sfumato"

Most of us have seen Leonardo's masterpiece, a painting known as "Monalisa/Mona-Lisa."
I am sure that some of you may even have heard of the term, "sfumato."   Leonardo has used this technique, and as you can see in his paintings, the effect of sfumato is wonderlous, for this technique allows the painter to blend the paints smoothly to create rather soft surfaces/forms rich in subtle gradation.
"Mona Lisa" is one of the best examples of  a painting where the sfumato technique is applied.

According to one definition, the word, sfumato, is derived from "fumare(to smoke)."
( http://arthistory.about.com/cs/glossaries/g/s_sfumato.htm )

However, do we know for sure what this technique is all about?

Although I have used ( what I have understood as ) the sfumato technique to paint my artworks, I still do not know exactly how Leonardo had used it in his paintings.

What type of brushes did he use? : sable?
What shape was the brushes? : flat? round? filbert?
What were the sizes of the brushes?

How hard/soft did he brushed against the painted surface?  (Had he brushed against the surface too hard, then the tiny fragments of the 'shaved' brushes should be mixed into the paints. Has any researchers found such fragments?)
What was the angle of the brush to the surface? :  30 degrees? 60 degrees?
What was the direction/movement of the brush stroke? :   zigzag? crossed? slanted (as in his sketches)? circular?
What was the speed of the brush stroke? rapid? slow?
Did he only use his left hand to apply sfumato?

etc, etc, etc...

I hope we can obtain the answer in the future.

Friday, May 7, 2010

The drawing of a left hand by Leonardo da Vinci (or his follower)

The drawing of a left hand of Thomas
The two hands in the Last Supper by HIkaru  


I've recently come across the image of what appears to be the drawing of a left hand done by Leonardo da Vinci or by his follower. I did not need to ask myself the questions such as : "Who's hand is this?" or "For what purpose did Leonardo (or his follower) draw this hand?"  It was obvious to me that this hand 'belonged' to Thomas in "The Last Supper" by Leonardo. 
Although the restoration work of "The Last Supper" was criticized by some of the art critics and the art historians, I applaud the painstaking 22 year effort of Dr. Pinin Brambilla Barcilon.  One of the mysteries or questions I have had had been cleared. It has to do with the left hand of Thomas. When I was preparing for the mural of quasi-copy of Leonardo's "The Last Supper," I have come across with some literature mentioning of the presence of the left hand of Thomas. Certainly, I have seen the left hand of Thomas painted by the early copyists of the mural, but I was not able to make out the shape of the hand by examining the pre-restoration photos of the original mural. Some restorers in the past seem to have painted the bread in the place of Thomas' left hand. In 1995-1996, when I was painting the copy, I've had to use the copies of the mural done by the followers to figure out where to place the left hand, for the restoration of the original mural was still not complete, and the photos were not yet available. (The image is from my mural. You can see the left hands of James the Greater and Thomas.)
Thanks to the restoration by Dr. Brambilla, I can see the left hand of Thomas with its fingers somewhat bent.

If you go to the following site, you can see the drawing in question. If you pay attention to the thumb, you can see that it appears to be "cut off". It is because the person is holding or holding onto the table. If you remember the gesture of Thomas, while he is pointing upwards with his right hand, the torso is leaning towards Jesus; therefore, he needs to hold onto the table in order not to fall forward. Also, from the evidence that the horizontal table line where the thumb is cut off is slightly raised towards the hand, and the fingers appears to be bent, one can imagine that it is due to the force of the left hand grabbing onto the table and pulling the table cross. The thumb is grabbing the side of the table, so it is hidden from the viewer.

http://www.art.com/products/p13304152-sa-i2453024/leonardo-da-vinci-study-of-a-left-hand.htm?ui=5CE751E79C224472B883B0C14D5355F5

http://www.art.com/asp/View_HighZoomResPop.asp?apn=13304152&imgloc=23-2362-Z00DJG2Y.jpg&imgwidth=776&imgheight=773

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Children's Day (Tango no Sekku)

Children's Day (Tango no Sekku)

As the 5th day of the 5th month (May), this day is celebrated in Japan as the Children's Day (Kodomo no hi). It is also known as "Tango no Sekku(端午の節句). The day was set on May 5th when Japan adopted the Gregorian calender.
This celebration is said to be originated in China during the 3rd century AD. In Japan, this celebration may have begun during the 6th century or so.
This day is usually celebrated as the Boys' Day as opposed the Girls' Day on March 3rd; however, it is generally known to celebrate the children in general and also as the day to show the appreciation towards the mothers.

Koi(carp) banners/flags (koi nobori) are raised. In China, it is believed that the carps do become the dragons after they reach the upstream. I feel that it is the perfect symbol of the strength and tenacity of the carps (female) to overcome the odds by going against the stream to reach the goal to lay the eggs.

Kintaro doll and/or the samurai kabuto (helmet), etc., are displayed as the reminder of strength, health, and the honor.
Kintaro is also known as Sakata Kintoki, and he was the famous hero with the unusual strength. He was born during the 10th century (956?) between Yaegiri (八重桐)and Sakata Kurando (坂田蔵人),who was serving the Imperial court in Kyoto. After the death of the father, the mother raised Kintaro in the Ashigara mountain. 
Other legend has Kintaro's mother as the Yamauba/Yamanba(a monstrous female who feasted on the childen's flesh) and his father as the god of the thunder and the lightening. Also, there is another legend where the red dragon mated with Yaegiri and produced Kintaro. This legend is very interesting, for Herzeloyde, the mother of Parzival (of  Wolfram von Eschenbach) had the dream where the red dragon appeared when she had conceived Parzival.

Hakone, where my 'home' is located, is the part f the Ashigara mountains!
There is a mountain named, Kintoki-Yama, located near where I grew up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children's_Day_(Japan)

Monday, May 3, 2010

Was Leonardo religious or not?

Was Leonardo religious or not?







I think he was not religious from the conventional point of view. Nor can I conclude that he was not religious at all.






Some claim that he was not religious based on that fact that he did not use the halo nor place a traditionally accepted sacred object on the Last Supper table, such as a Holy Chalice.


But, to me, Leonardo was more spiritual and perhaps religious than some of the painters of his time. Just because he did not use the halo does not automatically become equal to being non-religious.


He may well have thought and imagined, "What makes a person 'appear' more spiritual? Does putting a halo on the being portrayed makes him/her more spiritual? How can I convey the spirituality of a sacred beings without introducing the rather superficial, blindly traditional elements?


Yes, there are no Chalice on the Last Supper table in his painting. But is it not so that if such sacred being as Christ touches, anything can become sac red as the Holy Chalice? If he touched, the object can become sacred. Leonardo did not like the relic.


Instead, he wanted to show the holiness of the being through the gesture, posture, scenes, and facial expression... how to create the sacred atmosphere...


Can human nature express the divine? After all, these sacred beings in the paintings took the human forms to approach us. ...and God created human forms...!