Antonello da Messina, An Italian Master

l’Annunciazione di Antonello (Right side), 1474, Bellomo, Siracusa

l’Annunciazione di Antonello (left side), 1474, Bellomo, Siracusa

Although I had studied art, and in particular, Italian art, it wasn't until I went to Siracusa (Syracuse) Italy that I truly discovered the work of Messina (1430-79).

Antonello da Messina is credited with bringing oil painting from Flanders to Italy, and is among Italy's principal artists. While he is best known for his portraits, many of which are in galleries or museums in Sicily and internationally, it is his Annunciation that had me enthralled and gaping like a 3 year old for more than hour at the Galleria Regionale di Palazzo Bellomo di Siracusa.

Annunciation, Leonardo da Vinci 1472, Uffizi Gallery (Florence)

Many artists, particularly, Italians, have painted the Annunciation. da Vinci's version, which I saw in Firenza more than 30 years ago, and painted a couple of years earlier than Messina's, has a similar feeling but does not necessarily have the same luminescent impact I felt examining and admiring the Sicilian's.

Rendered with tempera and oil on wood, the painting was in disrepair, with evident peeling and badly cracked, when I visited, and only a small wall hung replica provided the detail and colour Messina painted in the 15th century.

Close Up, l’Annunciazione di Antonello (left side), 1474, Bellomo, Siracusa

But even though the painting badly needs restoration, the two figures seemed as alive as if I was standing outside a window peering into a room eavesdropping on a personal conversation.

I thought about this painting today after reading an article on Russian icons and admiring some 21st century work by Igor and Marina, husband and wife, who paint luscious oils, uniquely and reminiscent of bygone days.

Sicily is a Collage, 2004

Wall, Palermo, Sicily

Door, Siracusa, Sicily

Palermo Finds

During one of our leisurely strolls through the back streets of a winter day in Palermo, I spotted some old, decayed but even at a distance, fascinating structure.

We tip-toed through debris of broken glass, weeds, discarded tires and found ourselves at the outer walls of an old monastery.

Open and passable, the rooms on the street level all seemed like cells and all interconnected. Strewn across the floor of many were books, rotting and rotten. In one room there were several bookshelves, also decayed. I hastily rifled through the stacks and found three books that were not too moldy, not wet and nearly intact.

I carried them in my luggage all through our journey, and brought them home only to find myself shortly thereafter on the road and disconnected from all my personal belongings.

Now, at rest, I've been going through everything I own, and rediscovered the journals. I posted two on FPn but these pages were loose and from a different book.

The first two are journals that appear to be records of expenses and daily logs. These loose papers are signed by an Eminence of some rank and appear to be about enrollment. The pages have dates and confirmation signatures in two different hands or at least in two different inked pens. The dates appear in the late 1880s while the logs date to the 20th century.

It is unlikely that I will return to Sicily, but I may ask Mario or Vincenzo if they know anything about these treasures. Mario, more than Vincenzo, is a history buff and likely to have a clue.

Now if I can only recall where in the streets of Palermo we made this discovery.

Was it Palermo or Catania?

These two are not twins.

One is opaque red with silver trim, the other nearly translucent with gold trim. Although both have the "M" insignia on the iridium nib, each has his or her own distinct way of writing. The silver trimmed alpha male writes like a medium, while the golden female writes nearly like a fine.

I have no idea where I bought these, but suspect that the Christmas we visited Sicily, I may have plucked these off some shelf in an art supply store.

Four years later, I wish had I had bought more or at least held a memory of what they are and from whence they came.