The Lamb
“Little lamb, who made
thee?
Dost thou know who
made thee?
Gave thee life, and bid thee
feed
By the stream and o’er
the mead;
Gave thee clothing of
delight,
Softest clothing wholly and
bright;
Gave thee such a tender
voice,
Making all the vales rejoice?
Little lamb who made
thee?
Dost thou know who made
thee?
Little lamb, I’ll
tell thee,
Little lamb, I’ll
tell thee;
He is called by thy name,
For He calls himself a lamb.
He is meek, and He is mild;
He became a little child.
I a child, and thou a lamb.
We are called by His name.
Little lamb, God bless
thee!
Little lamb, God bless
thee!”
(Blake, 1997)
PAUL CÉZANNE
"Once we have attained a
certain age we find no other support or consolation than in religion."
(Rewald, J., 1950)
“I am helpless and can
render you no service, but as I shall die before you (Emile Zola) I shall
intercede before the Almighty for a good place for you.”
(Mack, 1935, 281)
“Let me repeat what I
told you here: you must see in nature the cylinder, the sphere, the cone,
all put into perspective, so that every side of the object, of a plane,
recedes to a central point. The parallel lines at the horizon give the
extension, that is a section of nature, or, if you prefer, of the
spectacle which the Omnipotent Eternal God and Father spreads before our
eyes.”
(Ibid. 377-378)
EUGÈNE DELACROIX
"God is within us: it is
that inner presence which makes us admire the beautiful, which rejoices us
when we have done right and consoles us for not sharing in the happiness
of the wicked. It is that, beyond a doubt, which constitutes the
inspiration of men of genius and which warms them at the spectacle of
their own productions."
(Pack, 1972, 697)
“Does nature promise us
that we shall love and possess one another elsewhere, without this
disquiet and anxiety that accompany our happiest moments? The woods and
the springs tell me so.”
(Delacroix, 1971)
ALBRECHT DÜRER
“The merciful God also help me to a happy end.”
(Russell, 1967, 90)
“God granted me diligence so that I learned well.”
(Ibid. 48)
“My father . . . led an honest God-fearing life, and was a gentle,
patient man, friendly to all and thankful to God. He cared little for
company and nothing for worldly amusements. He told me every day that we
must love God and be honest in our dealings with our neighbors.”
(Ibid. 39)
“Oh ye Christian men, pray God for help, for His judgment draweth
nigh and His justice will appear. Then shall we behold the innocent blood
. . . judged and condemned. These are the slain who lie beneath the altar
of God and pray for vengeance to whom the voice of God answereth: ‘Await
the full number of the innocent slain, then will I judge.’”
(Ibid. 140)
“All worldly rulers in these dangerous times should give good heed
that they receive not human misguidance for the Word of God, for God will
have nothing added to His Word nor taken away from it. Hear, therefore,
these four excellent men: Peter, John, Paul and Mark.”
(Ibid. 159)
JEAN,
AUGUSTE, DOMINIQUE INGRES
“Have religion in your art. Do not believe that you can produce
anything of worth . . . without the elevation of the soul. To see anything
beautiful you must see only the sublime. Do not look to the right, to the
left, or below. Look only to heaven, and don’t look down toward the earth
like pigs who seek in the mud.”
(Ingres,
1947, 45)
“If God will give me the mercy to increase the limited contingent of
my works until the great departure. May God also make them a little
deserving for posterity.”
(Ibid. 40)
“May God preserve us.”
(Ibid. 123)
LEONARDO DA
VINCI
“I obey Thee, Lord,
first for the love I, in all reason, owe Thee; secondly, because Thou can
shorten or prolong the lives of men.”
(Richter, 1883, P. 237)
"Thou, O God, sell us
all good things at the price of labour."
(Ibid. 237)
“O admirable Justice,
Thou First Mover; Thou hast not wished that any force should fail the
order or quality of its necessary effects.”
(Ibid. 237)
“The body is subject to
heaven and heaven to the Spirit.”
(Ibid. 238)
“You think that the body
is a wonderful work. In reality this is nothing compared to the soul that
inhabits in that structure...It is the work of God.”
(Ibid. 238)
“A lie is a terrible
thing. Even if it spoke great things about God it would take away from
God’s grace.”
(Ibid. 242)
“The works of God are
appreciated best by other creators.”
(Richter, 1977, 387)
MICHELANGELO
"Unless
Thou show us thine own true way
No man can find it; Father!
Thou must Lead."
(Wordsworth, 1932, 319)
"You only are good; Your
supreme mercy
Help my predicted sinful
state,
So close to death and so far
from God."
(Montale, 1976,
SONNET
I
would love to want that which I do not want:
Between the fire and the
heart of ice a veil is present
That quenches the fire, so
that it prevents
The pen in its work, and
makes the sheet a liar.
I love you with the tongue,
and then I pain
That love does not reach the
heart; nor do I know where
It opens the door to the
mercy that enters
The heart, that casts out
every merciless pride.
Tear the veil , my Lord,
break down the wall
That with its hardness slows
down
The brightness of your light,
dark to the world!
Send the prophesied light so
near to us
To your beautiful bride,
that in my heart
I might burn without doubt,
and only you believe.
(D’Angelo, 1978, 78)
"There
is nothing more base and vile on earth
such as I am without you I
feel and am."
(Ibid. 133)
'The
vanities of life have taken from me
The time to contemplate God."
(Ibid. 133)
"Half
the way that rises up to heaven
My dear Lord, and to that aim
alone
To rise I need your help."
(Ibid. 133
