iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Well, I’m stumped. Two years ago to the day I mentioned the same iconographic theme of San Juan de Dios as Eneas. This painter was certainly in the know of this identification, or maybe just intuition. Another thread to unravel.

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 23h

I am reading this book, “Caprichos barroco que curan el ánimo”, on the paintings of the San Juan de Dios basilica in Granada, no so that you don’t have to, but because it’s mandatory reading in the Iconography class. Also, written by the professor. Also, there will be a mandatory for-credit quiz.

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Dr Bendor Grosvenor FRHistS @bendorgrosvenor.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Ten years ago today, the first episode of Britain's Lost Masterpieces* was on BBC4. Here's a thread of all the pictures we featured, with the new attributions and before & after photos. (*internationally, Amazon Prime etc, as 'The Art Detectives')

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Christopher W. Jones @cwjones.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Why do Neo-Babylonian legal contracts refer to "iron oxen" used to plow fields? Did the Babylonians invent tractors? Not quite, apparently iron oxen are a legal clause which means that the borrower has to replace any ox that dies during the term of the lease. The oxen are therefore "immortal".

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

“Anyone who wants to win an election has to convince the single-digit people, the masses, the Useless, and you won’t get them with reason. You get them with emotions!” From QualityLand, by Marc-Uwe Kling

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

To be honest, I’m kinda reluctant to show archeological remains here, because all one is able to “read” in them are ruins. But we’re now studying in history of urbanism how old cities “worked”, and we’ve spent basically 0 in Egyptian or Minoic cities. Like this one, Cydonia or Kydonia.

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Today we had the “procesión”, or religious parade, of the Virgen de las Angustias, Madonna of the Sorrows. Here She is, right in front of the Basílica. After the series of quakes this last summer, it’s closed due to a crack in the dome, so the image is hosted at the cathedral instead.

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

A bit of processing and digging and she happens to be Santa Lucia, Saint Lucy. Although this saint from Syracuse, Sicily, is usually represented with her eyes in a plate, she is also “lucifera”, the bearer of light, so she’s carrying a light at the top of a wand. Iconography is not an exact science…

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The Duomo of Verona is not really a can’t-miss kind of place but it’s still interesting. Combining several churches, a baptisterium, a crypt, and the cathedral itself, you can spend some time looking at these painted chapels which covers all the lateral naves.

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Ideas Roadshow @ideasroadshow.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

The Tyrant sitting on a throne w/ his feet on a goat (symbol for luxury) while holding a dagger. Below him is Justice in captivity, the figures of Cruelty, Deceit, Fraud, Fury, Division & War flank him, above him float Avarice, Pride & Vainglory. Looks familiar? 🗃️ #arthistory #skystorians #art

Tyrammides (The Tyrant), a detail of The Allegory of Bad Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, c. 1338, Palazzo Pubblico, Siena.

The Allegory of Bad Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, c. 1338, Palazzo Pubblico, Siena.

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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 14/09/2026

Trump's foreign policy is not isolationist. On the contrary, his ideologues want to build an international empire run by far-right political movements who serve American crypto, mineral and tech companies, many with links to the president. Read more here: www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...

theatlantic.com

Empire of Grift

Far-right ideologues have transformed American foreign policy into a tool of private gain and antidemocratic reaction.

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Let’s move laterally to other topics during the same century to this beautiful statue of Mariana Pineda, “Heroine of Freedom” and a very well known and admired character during the history of Spain. Her myth, and its adaptation to certain political ideas, is even bigger, but she stands by herself

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Every country has its motifs and characters, and some artists are able to vibe in sync with them. Juan Bautista de Guzmán might have been one of them. A little known painter born in Granada, he paints in the style that can be called “folk”, reflecting popular scenes, like Longhi in Venice.

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Since I’m taking this year Iconography, we are going to have a few takes on the subject. For instance, let’s check out this mosaic that’s in the Berlinerdom, the Reformed cathedral of Berlin. He’s quite obviously Saint Mark, but we’re like “If you say so”, because there’s no way of knowing.

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Iconography deals with symbols and attributes, but a symbol is only a symbol if we know the code. In saints, ancient ones, we don’t really know how they look, so we need to look at attributes, objects that appear associated with them. There are two here, besides the shell, which is generic.

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Although you wouldn’t want to visit for this reason only (or, to be honest nowadays, for no other reason), there are beautiful pieces of public art in many US towns, like this bison herd in downtown Denver, Colorado. They manage to be at the same time whimsy and evocative.

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Hostile architecture was not invented this century, and covering corners so that people would not hide (anti-burglars… antibanditi) or would not take a pee (pissotta is the other name) were already created in the Middle Ages. I saw them for the first time in Venice

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Saint Petronius’ basilica in Bologna has a very interesting history, but you can already see that something’s missing here, namely, the façade cladding. But it’s not only that something is missing: what we see in pink marble from Verona and white from Carrara was added 200 years later.

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I took this lovely sunset pic from a terrace above the Palladian Basílica in Vicenza, possibly the best perspective on this building. And I came back to it because it solves an interesting problem, that of adapting old, medieval buildings to the new, “classical” style, according to Panofsky

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

One of the “omini” in the Rua Catalana in Napoli, where there’s so much one can barely lay eyes on somewhere without meeting some street art, building or decoration. An artist called Riccardo Dalisi in the 80s used poor materials like tin to create this sculptures celebrating local craftsmen

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

The beautiful cathedral of León goes way back to the days when León was one of the kingdoms that carved its way out of the Islamic invaders and called itself a “Empire”. It was also the first kingdom in Europe to become a Queendom under queen Urraca.

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Dr. Jeroen W.P. Wijnendaele @drdragases.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

This is an Eastern Roman triumphal inscription celebrating in Greek a local victory on land _and_ sea over the Langobards. I cannot emphasize enough how extremely rare such a text is, not only because of its location, but just as a document illuminating a very obscure period in history.

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Dr. Jeroen W.P. Wijnendaele @drdragases.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The mythical bard of Thrace seems to have been a popular character, because one of the most famous spots in the archeological park also has a mosaic with his image. But even more astounding was the inscription preserved in the main hall of the Basilica (blink and you'll miss it).

Orpheus mosaic at Porto Torres (WIkiCommons)

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

The Bardi table, usually hosted in the chapel of the same name when it’s not being restored, was when I visited in the, well, Epistolar side of the nave. It’s a huge table that dates back to the 13th century, way before Cimabue and Giotto with their Trecento. Temple over wood table, as usual

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Santi Pietro e Biagio in Cividale del Friuli is this small chapel with a fully frescoed façade. In this, it follows a tradition of Souther Germany, Switzerland, Austria but also Northern Italy, in the inner part of the Triveneto; I have seen similar decoration in palaces and churches in Trento

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

I was talking the other day about the Longobardi/Lombards, and here’s the so called “tempietto longobardo”, or little Lombard temple in Cividale del Friuli, part of the world heritage site called Sites of the Longobard Civilization. It’s really a small place, more a palatine chapel than a church

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Santa Maria Antica alle Arche Scaligere is small and almost hidden church, right behind the monumental funerary monuments to the Scaligeri, the bosses of Verona for a good part of the 14th century, the so called “arche” or arks. You go in through a small door, below one of the monuments.

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

This perspective brings together works from two different 20th century style: postmodernism at left, art deco at right, in the shape of the sculptures by Franz Metzner. The slate siding kind of joins the two buildings, together with the rectangular shapes. But still, they clash in everything

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The Mosque in Córdoba has an amazing Gothic-going-on-Baroque cathedral inside, with all the trappings you would expect from them, including this mahogany choir by Pedro Duque Cornejo. These estipites columns are very characteristic of the full Baroque in Southern Spain. But Duque shows his mastery

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Pierre Legros was one of those Frenchmen who came to Rome to learn their métier, and then stayed there for good becoming part of the Roman Baroque scene as much as the next one. His work is at Saint Peter… and also here, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, a Baroque jewel all over.

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Tim White @twmcltd.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Day 1658 of this terrorism being inflicted on an innocent country. Ukraine is fighting for its life & the lives of every one of its inhabitants. Just hours ago, this happened in Kyiv, a western-looking, freedom loving, European capital city. This may come to you soon. Today's🧵

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The Art Exhibitions Blog @blogexhibitions.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Coming up later this month at the Mapfre Foundation in Madrid: Women of the Pre-Raphaelite movement: www.fundacionmapfre.org/en/art-and-c... Same show is on next spring at La Piscine in Roubaix, near Lille: www.roubaix-lapiscine.com/exposition/p... #artherstory

fundacionmapfre.org

Women Artists: Pathways through Pre-Raphaelitism (1850-1914)

Discover the exhibition on Pre-Raphaelite women artists, from 24 September 2026 to 10 January 2027. Check hours and tickets.

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Dr. Peter Paul Rubens @peterpaulrubens.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Isaac: really bored. Abraham: looking for God. Angel: I'm really sorry, but you don't get to kill your annoying child today. Ram: I definitely have the worst part in this production. By Matthias Stomer, whose day is today.

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Art Herstory @artherstory.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, c. 1690–1706, by #LuisaRoldán (#LuisaIgnaciaRoldán; Spanish, 1652–1706), who was born #otd, Sept 8. Recently acquired by The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, museumoffineartshouston-my.sharepoint.com/personal/mfa... #womenartists #artherstory

A statue of the Virgin Mary on a gold framed pedastal, held up by 3 small angels or cherubs. She wears a white gown and a blue cloak, around which her long brown hair cascades. She gazes downward, and her hands are crossed in front of her chest.

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Luisa Roldán is one of the most amazing sculptors (sculptress?) in Spain.

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I was here 3 years ago today, the magnificent Redentore in la Giudecca, a great Palladian church, one that has the purest architectural lines thanks to its austerity, determined by the Capuchin monks that managed it. Created as a votive church, it’s the center of a yearly celebration.

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The Art Exhibitions Blog @blogexhibitions.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

New Faro Santander cultural centre opens in northern Spain tomorrow, with exhibitions including Old Masters, Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera, and Leonora Carrington! www.farosantander.com/en/inicio/sa...

farosantander.com

Faro Santander to open with rare display of masterpieces, including works by Titian, Goya, El Greco, Velázquez, Rubens, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and more

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David Widdick @davidwiddick.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Cley church must be one of the most beautiful in Norfolk and contains many strange and interesting things. Worth a visit.

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

There are these places in the world, and certainly in Spain, where it’s forbidden to take pictures. I got my moves for them. I used the “unwittingly looking up the time in my phone” to snap this one in San Isidoro de León, the pantheon of the kings of that kingdom, ancestor políties to Spain.

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Santo Domingo de Silos is a 11th century abbey in the province of Burgos. It has amazing reliefs as well as column capitals decorated by several Romanesque sculptors, which are actually called after the site: first master of Silos and second master of Silos. This quadruple capital is by the former

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

I was not so impressed in this last visit to Verona, over all after I had visited the highlights of the Spanish Renaissance and Trento, which was a really original place at a crossroad. But you have to give it to them, these funerary monuments for the Scaligeri family are really impressive.

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

In this painting entitled “San Triphone’s miracle” Vittore Carpaccio shows his mastery at color, over all his reds that eventually gave its name to the dish. He was hired by the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, a small recinct not far from San Marco, to create a whole cycle

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The Art Exhibitions Blog @blogexhibitions.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

New exhibitions in Scandinavia this month: The beach in art at the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm Remedios Varo at Louisiana in Denmark These and more in our preview: art-exhibitions.blogspot.com/2026/08/new-... Pic: Winslow Homer, Eagle Head, Manchester, Massachusetts (High TIde), 1870, @metmuseum.org

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

The Castel del Buonconsiglio is a space that deserves quite a while. Three hours into it, we were so exhausted we had to skip some exhibition rooms. Besides the space itself, it’s got an exhibition of the art and archaeological collections held by the prince-bishops of Trento.

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Darth Putin @darthputinkgb.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Germany has accused Russia of attacking them at Leipzig. Who will Donald support? 1. Russia 2. Vladimir 3. Putin 4. The Kremlin

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

This cryptic symbol is in a door in the main street of the city of Trento, in Italy. It’s not really art, but I guess that studying symbols is also part of the metier, so I’d go with it. I had seen a similar thing in Rottweil, in Germany, many years back, and found it to be a symbol of the Epiphany

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

I can get why there’s a Neptune fountain in Trento. Trento comes from Tridentum, trident, well, there you have it. But there are far too many Neptune fountains in the main squares in Italy to be just a coincidence. Bologna, Florence, Rome… Come to think of it, also in Madrid. All over, really.

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

The Mart (museum of modern and contemporary art) in Rovereto is an excellent reason to take a train from Trento or even Verona, instead of wasting your time in the queue for the totally fake Romeo and Juliet balcony. This is a totally authentic top tier museum built this century by Mario Botta

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JJ Merelo @jjmerelo.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

The Cathedral of Málaga was one of the last to be completed (minus one of its towers), so it’s got a curious mixture of architectural languages. The presbyterium, however, is unequivocally Baroque, with the cascading cornice, gilding and painting of the columns. Not to mention the tabernacle.

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