Shedding tears

For the first time today, I used Google Earth to access some of the masterpieces housed in the Prado in Madrid. Looking at the 'Descent from the Cross' by Rogier van der Weyden in such close and staggering detail moved me beyond words. The stricken face of the swooning Madonna is a harrowing portrait of maternal grief. She's on my computer screen in miraculous close-up - I can see how van der Weyden painted the tears with shadows & highlights, yet on the other hand I can't. My brain simply won't accept that something this raw is artifice. Oh, the extraordinary power of art!

If you would like to venture into the Prado for yourself, this link will show you the way.