Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 12-02-14

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 12-02-14 | Revised New American Bible

[defconw]

Looking at the picture I am most interested in the two figures at the top that seem to be rolling open the painting from either side.

Also why is the stain glass black? I can guess that once you are in front of God there is no need for scenery. Just curious. I never took art history. Maybe I should have. I

[annalex]

Go to WGA. You can read the explanation from WGA.hu. In part, it says:

the celestial watch in the upper area of the picture rolls back the firmament, behind which the golden-red doors of the heavenly Jerusalem shine forth.

If you click on the painting itself from that page, it will open a viewer. Click on "200%" link on top and scroll the window to either of the top corners. You can see that these men are angels, they have golden halos and black(*) wings. They are dressed as military men. You will also see the red architectural detail behind them; this, the WGA tells us, is Heavenly Jerusalem being revealed. I have not seen the depiction of Jerusalem in more traditional icons. However, this icon, from the Wikipedia page I quoted before, shows two angels scrolling or unscrolling the heavenly vault.

I don't know anything about the condition of three physical windows. It could be that they were originally stained glass but did not survive, or that the photographer deliberately blacked them out because they are not by Giotto.

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(*) The black may not be the intended color; some pigments last less than others and lose color. I am also suspicious of the black halos of the two angels holding up the cross in the center.

[defconw]

Thanks!