About the Artwork #1:
The Madonna and Child
Giuseppe Maria Crespi
Oil on canvas
46 x 55 cm.
Bologna, Italy
Public domain

Artist Giuseppe Maria Crespi captures a moment of love and tenderness between a mother and her child. As Mary beholds her infant son, she lovingly covers him with her blue cloak as if to shield him from the outside world. This intimate scene of Jesus’ birth deepens our understanding of what it meant for God to humble himself by taking the form of a baby, utterly and completely dependent on the love and care of his human mother, Mary.

About the Artist #1:
Giuseppe Maria Crespi (1665–1747) was an Italian late Baroque painter of the Bolognese School. His eclectic output includes religious paintings and portraits, but he is now most famous for his genre paintings. Crespi was a portrait painter and a brilliant caricaturist, and was also known for his etchings after Rembrandt. He was not universally appreciated during his time. Italians, until the seventeenth century, had concentrated mainly on images from religion, mythology, and history, as well as portraiture of the well-known. In this they differed from Northern Europeans, specifically Dutch painters, who had a strong tradition in the depiction of everyday life and activities.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Crespi
https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1182.html

About the Artwork #2:
Behold the Bridegroom Arriving
Nikolaos Gyzis
Oil on canvas
c. 1888
200 x 200 cm.
National Gallery
Athens, Greece
Public domain

Painter Nikolaos Gyzis had strong religious and metaphysical feelings and questions in the latter part of his life. It is in this context that a period of his transcendental work was born. The artist did many studies in preparation for this work. In this painting, Christ appears on the throne, illuminated against a golden-purple background. Golden clouds form circles around him. Golden rays emanate from the figure of Christ across the entire work. The coming of the Saviour is heralded by four angels with trumpets, while archangel Gabriel is flying above on the top of the composition. Myriads of angels are kneeling on the great staircase which frames the scene, leading to Christ, celebrating his coming.

About the Artist #2:
Greek painter Nikolaos Gyzis (1842–1901) is considered one of Greece's most important and influential artists of the nineteenth century. He was a major figure in the “Munich School” movement, after having been trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Germany. Later in his life, he turned to religious themes in his works. Behold the Bridegroom Arriving is an example of one of his symbolic paintings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolaos_Gyzis
https://www.nationalgallery.gr/en/artist/gyzis-nikolaos/

About the Music: “Advent Motet: Lord Hosanna” from the album Be with Us

Lyrics:
Lord Hosanna, the Son of David!
Blest he that comes in the name of the Lord!
Lord Hosanna in the highest!

About the Composers: Lyrics: Paul Gerhardt; Music: Gustav Schreck; Arranger: Olaf C. Christiansen

Gustav Schreck (1849–1918) was a German music teacher, composer, and choirmaster of St. Thomas School in Leipzig from 1893 to 1918. He composed chamber music and individual choral pieces. During this time, two oratorios emerged: King Fjalar and Christ, the Risen One (the latter used a text written by his wife). In 1887 he was asked to take on a position as a teacher of music theory and composition at the conservatory founded by Felix Mendelssohn, where he remained as a teacher until his retirement in 1917. In 1900, Gustav Schreck became one of the founding members of the New Bach Society. The Bach festivals of this society have been held with the regular participation of St. Thomas to this day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Schreck

Paul Gerhardt (1607–1676) was a German theologian, Lutheran minister, and hymnodist.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gerhardt

Olaf C. Christiansen (1901–1984) was an American composer, professor, and conductor in the Lutheran choral tradition. He succeeded his father as the second conductor of the St. Olaf Choir, which he led for twenty-seven years. The second son of famed choral conductor F. Melius Christiansen, Christiansen grew up in Minnesota, where he was actively engaged in both athletics and music. During his career, Christiansen spread the Lutheran choral tradition across the nation. In addition to domestic and international tours with the St. Olaf Choir, he co-founded the Christiansen Choral School with his father; more than seven thousand American music directors attended the school. He was a frequent guest conductor at music festivals and clinics. He also composed and arranged sacred choir works.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaf_Christiansen

Performers: The Gustavus Choir with conductor Gregory Aune

Rooted in its Lutheran choral heritage at Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota, the Gustavus Choir performs fine sacred music from all historical periods, but also champions new music by contemporary composers. The choir has premiered commissioned works of noted composers including Eric Whitacre, Stephen Paulus, Imant Raminsh, and Jaakko Mantyjarvi. The Gustavus Choir maintains an extensive annual touring schedule throughout the United States and travels abroad every four years. Over the past forty years, the choir has appeared at cathedrals, conservatories, and cultural centers in Scandinavia, Russia, Asia, South Africa, and dozens of European countries. Recent international tour venues have included St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Notre Dame in Paris, Stephansdom in Vienna, Nikolaikirche in Leipzig, Scholosskirche (Castle Church) in Wittenberg, and Hedvig Eleonora in Stockholm. The Gustavus Choir is frequently invited to perform at professional conferences and performed for the king and queen of Sweden in 2012.
https://gustavus.edu/academics/departments/music/vocal/gustavuschoir/

Gregory Aune was the conductor of the Gustavus Choir. Aune retired after twenty-four years of service to the Gustavus Adolphus College. https://finearts.blog.gustavus.edu/2019/05/04/gregory-aunes-final-farewell-song-go-ever-on/

About the Poetry & Poet:
Richard Crashaw (1612–1649) was an English poet and teacher, an Anglican cleric, and a Roman Catholic convert, and he was one of the major metaphysical poets in seventeenth-century English literature. Crashaw was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge. After taking a degree, Crashaw taught as a fellow at Peterhouse, Cambridge, and began to publish religious poetry that expressed a distinct mystical nature and an ardent Christian faith. Crashaw's poetry, although often categorized with those of the contemporary English metaphysical poets, exhibits similarities with the baroque poets and was influenced in part by the works of Italian and Spanish mystics.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/richard-crashaw
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Crashaw

About the Devotion Author:
Dr. Jeannine Hanger
Associate Professor
Talbot School of Theology
Biola University

Jeannine is Associate Professor of New Testament at Biola University, teaching classes on NT history and literature, the Gospel of John, beginning Greek, biblical interpretation and spiritual formation. Her research interests focus on the Gospels and sensory aspects of texts. She lives in Torrance, CA, with her husband Garrick, a pastor at Coastline Covenant Church, and with their three young adult children. Some of Jeannine’s favorite things include long runs, strong coffee, rainy days, and good books