%1

The Sower, by Chris Cook

Even when Chris Cook’s art begins as a copy of a well-known work, his ultimate purpose, he says, is “to make another observation.” The Sower was featured in his solo show, Every Time I Feel the Spirit, at the Morgan County African American Museum in Madison, Georgia. The parable of the sower has inspired famous works by artists such as Jean-François Millet and Vincent van Gogh, but Cook approaches the image with his own sense of style and color.

The Presentation of the Christ Child in the Temple, by Ludovico Carracci (1555–1619)

The origins of the Feast of the Presentation are obscure, but by the sixth century the observance was combined with the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin (both based on Luke 2:22–40) and celebrated on February 2 as a festival also known as Candlemas. This recently discovered work was painted by Bolognese artist Ludovico Carracci during the Italian Baroque period. The bright orange, purple, and gold garment colors are more characteristic of the earlier Mannerist period. Mary, in her customary blue gown and pink mantle, is handing the Christ Child to Simeon.