I learned that the master painters were in charge of painting the main subjects in paintings.
Then the apprentices would come behind to paint the backgrounds. It was obvious that a lot of effort was put into the small details in the periphery.
Of course this tidbit of information got me side-tracted…literally. I made it a point to search the margins for interesting details an apprentice might add to get noticed by his master.
I tried to photograph the whole painting and then the tiny details. Sometimes rude tourist were impatient with my careful attention to detail. Imagine such rudeness!

Needless to say, I got carried away.

Another detail that got me side-lined was all the paintings in which baby Jesus is lying on the ground surrounded by unattentive adults.

We Americans like to keep our baby Jesus in Mary’s arms or the manger.

But what can you expect from a country that parks their babies in a stroller outside a store and goes inside to shop alone?

FLOW