The Ascension of the Holy Spirit 1455

Editor: This tempera on vellum miniature, "The Ascension of the Holy Spirit" painted by Jean Fouquet around 1455, feels so ethereal to me. The blues are so intense, but there's a real sense of depth despite its small scale. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, I see a shimmering dream, darling! Imagine yourself transported to a medieval manuscript, each page illuminated with devotion and a touch of whimsy. The deep blues aren't just blue; they are the very essence of heaven, that inky night sky speckled with the hope of stars. Don't you think Fouquet is winking at us? The seriousness of the ascension balanced by those adorable, slightly chubby angels, floating with such self-importance! Editor: They do seem like they’re in a bit of a hurry! The clothing too—I mean it doesn't quite look like classical drapery, right? Curator: Precisely! Fouquet wasn't just regurgitating old styles. This is the Northern Renaissance blooming, an eager embrace of Italian ideals filtered through a distinctly French lens. He's dressing his figures in fabrics he observed, real clothes that breathed and folded around real people. You almost want to reach out and touch the rich textures, don’t you? What does it evoke for you, darling? Editor: That mix of the divine with the everyday makes it so relatable! I’d never really noticed that before. Curator: It’s a slice of the divine interwoven with human observation. Isn’t art just the most scrumptious conversation across time? Editor: Absolutely! I am certainly viewing it with a new eye!