Revealing the Renaissance

I was not the worship leader at St. Paul,s yesterday because of a week of continuing education leave. It meant that we were on the road early (7:30) for a unique worship experience at the Art Gallery of Ontario. About 150 of us gathered in the spacious area beneath the massive spiral staircase for what is known as Artists Lauds. This was a joint effort of Regis College, a Roman Cathloic college of the Toronto School of Theology and the AGO. Lauds is one of the offices or services of the day in the monastic tradition. This lauds service was designed to coincide with the opening of the marvelous new AGO exhibit called Revealing the Renaissance: Stories and Secrets in Florentine Art. The exhibit, created in conjunction with the esteemed Getty Museum in California, brings together exqusite pieces from around the world which exemplify the flowering of art in fourteenth century Florence.

Why worship in the setting of this exhibit? By far the majority of the pieces were created as devotional art, whether altarpiece triptychs or illuminated (illustrated) prayer books. As Florence became a mercantile powerhouse the wealthy merchants became increasingly nervous about the state of their souls. Commissioning art from guilds of skilled craftsmen was a way of winning eternal favour with the church and ultimately with God. So much for the grace of Christ!

Yesterday we sang and prayed together for most of an hour  in a style that reminded me of stays in monastic communities through the years. There is a haunting quality to music written for an entirely different era, and the small choir leading us in this strange stuff was excellent. Then we were given free admission to the exhibit where we meandered about viewing artwork created nearly 700 years ago. It was wonderful.

Do you know much about the history of devotional art? Does the subject pique your curiosity or bore you to tears? Do you think you might visit the exhibit?