Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Monday 4 April 2016

The Annunciation in Early Christian Art


Today being the transferred Feast of the Annunciation itv seema asuitable day upon which to post theis link to a post linked at the beginning of February this year by Kurt Sherry on the
Medieval Religion discussion group. His wife thought the lack of a veil on the figure was curious:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/31/opinion/sunday/is-this-the-oldest-image-of-the-virgin-mary.html

Elisabeta Negrău posted the following comments on the depiction:
This Dura-Europos figure of a not-veiled woman, presumptive BVM, is not singular in Paleochristian art.
Other such images can be seen at:
a) the seemingly contemporary Catacomb of Priscilla, a nursing Virgin Mary: https://dlib.york.ac.uk/yodl/app/image/detail?id=york%3A806466&ref=browse

and b) Santa Maria Maggiore (post 431), the Annunciation: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/10974655144

However, this Dura-Europos image might be the first (presumptive) Annunciation at the Well known [to survive] today.



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