Secrets Committed to Canvas: A Tour Through the CT Gallery

reply to post by Eidolon23


I find it interesting that the floor the skeleton shriners are standing on is blue and white instead of black and white. These paintings should be presented in the Secret Societies forum. I'd like to see our resident masons' opinions of them. It's too bad they haven't stopped by to comment on them in this thread.

I was wondering if anyone would like to see these?

Fulcanelli was supposed to have written a third book. F did not feel as though the timing was correct for publication while he was still corporeal so he gave the notes to E. Canseliet and Eugene never published it.

Anyhow, the title of the volume was suppose to be Finis Gloriae Mundi or 'The End of The World's Glory'. If you Google it you will see all sorts of offerings of the book; don't bother they are fake.

So, the book apparently concerned these two paintings as a way of discussing Alchemy, Finis Gloriae Mundi and In Ictu Oculi, which means, "In the twinkling of an eye". Here they are in all their giantness...





And here is the basic lowdown on the paintings...

Juan de Valdés Leal “In Ictu Oculi” & “Finis Gloriae Mundi” (1670-1672)

The Brotherhood of Charity (La Caridad) was founded in Seville in 1565, one of many religious confraternities active in Spain.

Its goal began as the provision of proper Christian burial for the poor, but they eventually established a hospital for paupers. There were groups of men who gathered for social and charitable functions, much like today’s Knights of Columbus or Rotary Club.

Patron of the Brotherhood Don Miguel de Manara commissioned these artworks to decorate the hospital that his confraternity established. Members of the confraternity would pool resources, and were therefore able to commission such wondrous works as this pair of paintings by Juan de Valdes Leal.

The location of the works of Juan Valdes Leal (1622-1690), just by the entrance, means that visitors are first confronted by the grim warning they provide against earthly vanities, before walking along the “path to salvation” past the Seven Acts of Mercy. This gruesome pair also must be passed on the way out of the chapel, a stern reminder not to forget the lessons learned inside.

secrethistoryofart.blogspot.com...

So, the link gives a run down that could be considered truly pedestrian; in that there you are, walking along, you see the painting, you read the brouchure: have a nice day. But we at ATS know it's never like that.

What we have here is another example of a commissioned piece of artwork that delivers a lot more than was ordered. Or did it? Who were the 'Brotherhood of Charity' anyway?

Wadda ya think? Check out what's in the scales of the balance.

X.