Saint Benedict's Vision of the Globe and the Three Angels

Saint Benedict's Vision of the Globe and the Three Angels, Alonso Cano, 1658-1660. Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain.

Questions

-What do you see in this painting?

-What is St. Benedict gazing upon?

-What does St. Benedict's body language communicate to us?

-Why do you think it is so hard to see some of the details in this painting?

Reflection

Saint Benedict's rule has always been increasingly inspiring to me as my marriage and family has been created, established, and grown. There is something so simple and straightforward about it, speaking about the truths of community life from within. It is incredibly familial so while some of the things in the rule do not quite apply or what I can control, such as as when I wake up for the day (which is usually decided upon by my child) or how much bread I am allowed each day (as someone who is gluten free), there are deeper things below these rules of life that make all the difference. Like my two examples above, I can set my alarm for at least 15-30 minutes before I think my child will wake up so I have some quiet, prayerful time with the Lord before I have to attend to someone else's needs. Or I can choose what food to buy, cook, and feed my family that is healthy, satisfying, and simple in nature. The Rule is not just for monastics, it is for everyone. I think that there are many reasons why St. Benedict is a saint, but I believe that the universality of this rule of life is one of the main ones. It is a powerful testament to how the Gospel and way of holiness can be accessed, understood, and walked by anyone, no matter their state in life or vocation.

This painting shows the miraculous vision that St. Benedict had in his cell where he saw the Holy Trinity as well as the globe, the whole world, being held by angels. One account says, “Standing at the window and praying to almighty God in the middle of the night, (Benedict) suddenly saw a light pour down that routed all the shadows … Benedict reported later, the whole world was brought before his eyes as if collected in a single ray of sunshine.” This was deeply impactful on Benedict and changed the way that he saw the world around him. He got to see the entirety of the world, but in its simplest manner. A foretaste of heaven, seeing all shadows and darkness being diminished by the light. The Lord does this in our hearts and in the world around us, but only if we let him. The Trinity's presence shows how they are always watching over the world and what goes on below, never separate and never far from one another or us. The presence of the angels are a good reminder that they do the work of the Lord in the world today, always reminding us of His goodness and love. We too, can do the work of the Lord and hold His creation in high regard and careful consideration just as the angels do.

A part of this vision also was seeing another Abbot's soul being taken up into heaven, which he later learned happened at the same time he had this vision. Benedict saw the entirety of the world, where so many live and die everyday, but yet he only saw one soul ascend to heaven. This must be how God encounters each one of us. He would have made the entirety of the universe just so we alone as individuals could encounter His majesty and creation. The Lord sees the whole world and all of time as the present, there is no past or future for Him. But although He holds all of that in existence and creation, He has the attentiveness of seeing only you. You are his favorite child and holds His dearest attention. The tenderness of this cannot be overlooked and can never be exhausted to understand. Saint Benedict was able to experience God's immense majesty and power but also His small and personal love and care. How can this not change a person? How can this not bring you to love God so much more? The closer we get to God the more we can start to see the whole world as He does, but also each individual soul as God does.

Information

I think this piece is a great example of why restoration and preservation of art is so incredibly important. When looking at this piece, it is not immediately clear what is happening or the details in it. It could be easy to miss the Trinity or even what the angels are holding. It takes a bit of focus to really see and understand what is going on. The restoration and preservation of art has become an increasingly important practice and gaining more attention. As art ages, so many things could affect the paint whether it be smoke, dust, rips, tears, and general aging. Especially pieces in churches are surrounded by people, incense, candles, and changing conditions depending on how much air and temperature control there is. Now imagine all of these things over hundreds of years!

The appearance and condition of the painting is not stable unless the conditions are kept that way, like in many museums. Even art in museums is not completely safe from environmental factors, unless it is in a specific glass case like the Mona Lisa or the Constitution of the United States. This is why the practice of restoration and preservation is so important, so that the art can be kept for future generations and hundreds more years. These techniques include a mix of knowledge and use of art and artistic practices as well as science to know how cleaning solutions and other elements will react with paint. It also often takes some time to very carefully examine, clean, structurally repair, and protect the painting for the future. The goal is to maintain the artwork and its integrity while addressing the damage and protect it from future damage. Considering the original piece in its historical integrity and artist's original intent is also important while restoring artworks.

Every good restoration starts with detailed analysis and documentation of the painting to see what needs to be done and be aware of the type of varnish, paint, and other mediums were used to create the piece. Dust, grime, and other surface contaminants are removed first using brushes, solvents, and other tools. The cleaning then removes the top varnish which usually becomes discolored over time. The paint itself is then assessed whether there are spots that need to be filled in or if pieces have chipped away and can be reattached. Structural repairs can happen to the canvas if there are holes or weak spots. The restorer can then recreate lost areas using paint and other mediums. There are two different thoughts while restoring art. Some decide to use paints that are slightly different in shade and tone to make the onlooker aware that it has been restored and what was filled in. Others decide to color match as closely as possible to make the restoration look as seamless and unnoticeable as possible. These decisions are dependent on the owner/keeper of the artwork and where it will be placed. The thing that is the same with restoration is to use paint and mediums that can easily be reversed in the future for adjustments and other treatments. The last thing for restoration is to varnish the piece, helping to protect the art piece for future adjustments and treatments.

More Questions

-What part of your life do you think could benefit from more structure and rules? How could St. Benedict's rule be an inspiration to you?

-Is it uncomfortable for you to imagine how tender God's love and attention is

-Have you ever seen a restored painting? Why do you think this is important?

Let us pray -

Lord, help us to see all of your creation as all created by the same person. You are the Creator of the World and you created us with the same intentionality and beauty. You have called us to be in relationship with the world you created but even more so with you. Thank you for how you love us and give us direction in our life. May we learn from Saint Benedict how to live a life that is rooted and centered around you, so that we may love and serve those around us with your love and your hands.

Saint Benedict, pray for us!

Amen.