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exhibition Details
Every culture has rituals and symbols that link daily life to the sacred realm of gods and goddesses, whether a single divinity or many. Numerous forms of faith also have magical messengers, such as saints or angels. Our understandings of their divine powers, their roles and the means by which people relate to them, have come down to us through oral histories, art and literature, with some remaining unchanged over the centuries, and others responding to current movements within a particular form of faith.
Little Miracles demonstrates the function of small-scale religious images, created to be displayed in domestic environments rather than on chapel or church walls. They graphically demonstrate the power of faith and contemplation to conjure up the divine, while traditionally serving as conduits for the faithful, allowing them to communicate with the saints and members of the Holy Family. Whether asking advice or begging for assistance in their daily struggles, such interactions served to give meaning to the tragedies and joys of life.
- Date
- —
- Curated by
- Mary Kisler
- Location
- Level 1
- Cost
- Free entry
Related Artwork
The Annunciation
etching and engraving
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Peter Tomory Collection, purchased 2010
The Crucifixion
tempera on paper
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Moss Davis, 1927
Saint Ursula
On display
The Scorning of Christ (Christ Mocked)
tempera on canvas
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Sir George Grey, 1887
On display
The Vision of Saint Romuald
oil on canvas
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1961. Frame sponsored by D G Kilford
The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine
On display
Two Saints in Adoration
oil on canvas
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Mr Norman B Spencer, 1967
Nativity
ivory
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Lady Alport Barker, widow of ARD Watson, 1966
Pentecostal Group
wood with traces of polychromic and gilt
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased with funds from the Watson Bequest, 1965
Saint John the Baptist
On display