The Crucifixion

Andrea di Bartolo

In brilliance and brightness, the tragedy and drama of the crucifixion is played out. The technicolor masses that gather below the cross exist in vignettes of action - Mary collapses and is looked after by saintly figures, three wise men gather below Christ to confer, guards gamble in the foreground for the punished’s belonging, and a watchmen breaks the leg of the crucified man to Christ’s left. The moral theatre is rendered in unusually joyful color such that each figure seems like a gemstone, bringing the weight of the picture to the base and leaving the top half adrift in rich gold. The Bartolo family of which Andrea was a part had a long lineage as artists and craftspeople, and the ornate decoration of gold backgrounds had become a calling card for the lineage. The haloes of Christ and the angels around him are punched with delicate geometric patterns into the wood itself, and the gold background has a border of subtly decorated relief running its length. While the bright colors of below may immediately draw the eye, it is Christ, the gold sky behind him, and the angels around him who Bartolo has paid the most attention to.

Saturday 3rd October

The Moon continues through Gemini as it wanes towards its last quarter. Some biodynamic gardeners choose copper tools, following ideas developed by Viktor Schauberger. As these tools move through the earth, they can leave minute traces of copper, an element plants need in small amounts for healthy growth and which advocates believe supports soil fertility and water balance. Copper also finds a place in the preparation of biodynamic sprays: its ability to conduct heat allows rainwater in a suitable stirring vessel to be gently warmed from below. Once the preparation is added, the water is stirred rhythmically, forming a deep vortex before each change of direction breaks it into swirling chaos. Through this process, known as dynamisation, horn manure preparation 500 is readied for the soil, or horn silica preparation 501 for the plants, each applied at its appropriate time. These preparations lie at the heart of biodynamic practice, a little agricultural alchemy expressing our intention to restore vitality and give something back to the earth that sustains us.