Art & Music – Page 10 – Hear what the Spirit is saying

Christ in the House of Mary and Martha | Art for Proper 11C

Commentary by Hovak Najarian

Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, oil on canvas, 1618, Diego Velázquez, 1599-1660

In the seventeenth century, Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens and Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn were the two most noted artists in northern Europe, and Diego Velázquez was the unrivaled master of painting in Spain. Velázquez graduated from Don Francisco Pacheco’s workshop academy in Seville, married his daughter, and a few years later moved to Madrid. Soon he was working for King Philip IV at the Spanish Court where he remained throughout his life.

While he was still in Seville, Velázquez further developed skills and expanded his range of subjects by painting domestic settings. Kitchen scenes were popular with the public and often they conveyed an underlying message connecting everyday life in Spain with biblical events. “Christ in the House of Martha and Mary” depicts a scene of a maid preparing garlic mayonnaise to go with the fish that will be served for dinner. The maid’s expression indicates she is upset and the woman behind her is calling attention to a scene in the upper right corner of the painting. We can not be sure if the smaller scene (like an inset) is intended to be a reflection in a mirror, a hatch (an opening) through which we are looking into an adjacent room, or a painting on the kitchen wall. Velázquez used devices such as reflections and paintings within paintings throughout his career.

In the usual interpretation of this painting, the two figures in the kitchen and the figures in the upper right hand scene are many centuries apart in time. The smaller scene shows Jesus seated in the home of Martha and Mary (Luke 10: 38-42). Mary is seated at his feet and Martha is standing behind her. In the biblical story, Martha became busy serving food and drink while Mary seemed oblivious to the fact that her sister was doing all of the work alone. Instead of helping her sister, Mary sat down and listened to Jesus. Martha was frustrated at this and wondered if Jesus cared that her sister was leaving all of the serving chores up to her; she hoped Jesus would ask Mary to help her. Jesus told Martha that her concern was misplaced and that in sitting and listening to him, Mary had made a good choice.

The frustration of the maid pictured by Velázquez is similar to that of Martha. She is trying to make preparations for a meal but is working by herself and is distraught about all that needs to be done. The woman behind her is calling the maid’s attention to the scene of Jesus, Martha, and Mary; pointing out that spiritual nourishment is an important part of life as well.

It has been suggested this kitchen scene is not set in seventeenth century Spain but rather is in the home of Martha and Mary when Christ was there. If this interpretation of the painting is accepted, the person believed to be an upset maid in the kitchen is actually Martha herself and the second woman with Jesus in the smaller scene is another guest.

The Good Samaritan | Art for Proper 10C

Commentary by Hovak Najarian

The Good Samaritan (after Delacroix), Oil on Canvas, 1890, Vincent van Gogh, 1853-1890

In response to a lawyer’s question, “And who is my neighbor?” Christ told a parable about a man who was traveling and beset by robbers. He was left lying by the roadside, stripped, beaten, and half dead. A priest saw him and passed by on the other side. A Levite did the same. A Samaritan, however, stopped and gave him aid. He lifted him onto his “beast” and took him to an inn and cared for him. The following day the Samaritan paid the innkeeper and asked him to continue caring for the man; saying if more money was needed he would pay when he returned. Christ asked rhetorically which of these three proved to be a neighbor to the man, and answered, “The one who showed mercy…” He then said, “Go and do likewise.” This parable was of interest particularly to artists who favored biblical stories of human warmth and compassion; many notable artists, including Rembrandt, painted “The Good Samaritan.” In the early nineteenth century, Eugene Delacroix (del a crwah) the leader of the French Romanticists also painted it and a reproduction of it was published. Shown here is Vincent van Gogh’s interpretation of Delacroix’s painting based on a black and white lithograph copy.

In May of 1890, van Gogh was still a patient at the hospital at Saint-Remy. In warmer weather he would go into the fields to paint but he had been mostly indoors throughout the winter months. Books were comforting to him; in them he could study the paintings of the artists he admired. While remaining indoors, he began using reproductions as source material for his own paintings and he had empathy particularly with the subject of Delacroix’s “The Good Samaritan.” Van Gogh had several bouts of illness during the winter months and he himself was in need of compassion. The cause of his illness has not been determined with certainty even today.

When painting the “The Good Samaritan” van Gogh was working from a copy made by Jules Laurens. The lithograph produced a reversed image of the painting and because van Gogh’s composition followed the lithograph, it too was in reverse. The interpretations of the paintings made by van Gogh at this time were not intended to be copies; instead, he painted subjects in the colors he believed would be appropriate. The reproductions in books were used as source material and were modified in much the same way a musician changes the orchestration or makes variations on another composer’s theme.

A few weeks after painting, “The Good Samaritan,” van Gogh boarded a train to Paris. After visiting his brother and his wife, and his recently born nephew, he settled in nearby Auvers-sur-Oise and was under the care of Dr. Gachet. The auditory and hallucinatory attacks from his illness, however, became more frequent and van Gogh determined it would be for the good of all if he ended his life. He shot himself in the chest and died. His brother, Theo, went into a physical and emotional decline and died six months later.

The Fallen Angel | Art for Proper 9C

Commentary by Hovak Najarian

The Fallen Angel, Wood Engraving, 1866, Gustave Doré, 1832-1883

During the fifteenth century as painters increased their skills, it was noted their activity entailed more than physical labor. Their work was not the same as that of artisans whose activity often required repetitive handwork. Scholars became aware that critical thinking was taking place as a painting or sculpture was being created; intellectual and emotional content was evident in the work. This assessment led to the belief that painting and sculpture were of a higher order than other human-made forms (e.g. chairs, tables, dinnerware, and pottery). To this perceived higher order the term “art” was given and specialized image makers became known as “artists.” Thus “art” came into being and a hierarchy was established. Painting, sculpture and architecture were regarded as “fine arts” and others were regarded as “minor arts” or even “miscellaneous arts.” Prints such as woodcuts, engravings, and etchings ranked higher than the handcrafts but they were still part of the minor arts despite the work of masters such as Albrecht Durer and Rembrandt.

Photography was invented during the nineteenth century but the halftone process for printing photo images (as in reproductions of black and white photographs in newspapers and books) was not being used until after the 1880s. The medium of choice for illustrations during the nineteenth century was engraving and very skilled artists devoted time to it. Yet even today, the art of book illustration is not usually an area of study among art historians. Gustave Doré is praised for his very original work and exceptional engraving skills, but he did not open the way to new directions in painting as did his contemporaries, the Impressionists. Instead, his work is associated with nineteenth century romanticism which favored drama and exoticism in art. Doré’s illustrations for John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” provided an opportunity to illustrate highly dramatic moments and at the end of Book III, an illustration is shown of Satan’s fall. Satan is alone in a freefall from heaven. Rays of heavenly light are breaking through the darkness and stars are in their places as Satan is entering the outer atmosphere of the earth which is shrouded partially by clouds.

The Bible does not say angels have wings but image makers of the Middle Ages reasoned they possessed some means of locomotion. Wings sounded logical and they often depicted them to be spectacular and sometimes in rainbow colors. Satan also has been given wings but they are not the usual graceful and colorful wings seen on angels. Doré has depicted Satan with primitive bat-like wings; the type associated with Gothic horror novels. The falling figure of Satan attracts our attention immediately because of its context. It is difficult to move your eyes away from its active angular shape which contrasts strikingly with the passive softness of the clouds; even the earth seems soft. Satan’s intense darkness against the light grey sky ensures that this “fallen angel” remains the focal point of our attention. In Doré’s engraving there is a sense that something sinister is approaching the earth.

Elijah on the Fire-cart | Art for Proper 8C

Cappella Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), Padua

Commentary by Hovak Najarian

Elijah on the Fire-Cart (within a decorative band), Fresco, c.1304-06, Giotto di Bondone, c.1266-1337

When image makers created icons and illuminated manuscripts for Byzantine Churches, their efforts were toward projecting a spiritual realm; they were not trying to depict the familiar world of our daily experiences. In Italy during the late thirteenth century, however, changes were taking place; interest in earthly matters and the physical world was leading the way to the Renaissance. Art gave visual form to this changing world and Giotto (JOT toe) played a key role in the advancement of painting. Early in his career, he worked with Cimabue who was shifting away from Byzantine art but Giotto broke from it even further. He depicted biblical subjects with gestures and expressions of real people in a natural world.

Very early in the fourteenth century, Giotto received a commission to paint frescos in the Scrovegni (The Arena) Chapel in Padua. The cycle of paintings depicts events in the life of Mary’s parents, the life of Christ, and the Last Judgment. These paintings fill the entire walls of the Chapel and are divided by wide borders that simulate marble mosaic patterns. Within the borders are images of saints, prophets, and Old Testament figures that are related in subject to the paintings adjacent to them. The image of “Elijah on the Fire-Cart” – painted in a quatrefoil within the border – is not a dramatic presentation; the chariot and horses are not engulfed totally in flames but the plumes of fire and overall red coloration of both the horse and cart indicates it is definitely afire. A whirlwind is not indicated but drama was not Giotto’s intent. The placement of Elijah is in accordance with a custom of showing parallels between Old and New Testament events. As a person progresses forward in the Chapel the small painting of Elijah’s ascension inside the border will be seen just before seeing, “Ascension of Christ” to its immediate right. “Elijah and the Fire-Cart” serves only as a small tie-in within the border.

Note

The Scrovegni Chapel: The wealthy Enrico Scrovegni purchased land for a palace and private chapel at the site of a former Roman amphitheatre known as the “Arena.” Hence, the chapel is known as “The Arena Chapel.”

Quatrefoil: In the fourteenth and fifteen century, circles and squares were regarded to be perfect shapes. A “quatrefoil” (meaning four leaves) is a framework made of four circles of equal diameter arranged so they all overlap equally in the center. When the overlapping lines of the circles are removed, the space it creates serves as a frame for decorative additions to architecture. Giotto’s “Elijah in the Fire-Cart” is painted in a quatrefoil.

Space Probe: Haley’s Comet passed by the earth in the year 1301. Three years later when Giotto painted the “Adoration of the Magi” in the Arena Chapel, he used an image of the comet as the star of Bethlehem. In 1986, when the European Space Agency launched sensors to examine the nucleus of Haley’s Comet, they saw it fitting to name the probe, “Giotto.”

Elijah Fed by the Angel | Art for Proper 7C

Scuola Grande di San Rocco.

Commentary by Hovak Najarian

Elijah Fed by the Angel, oil on canvas, c.1577-78, Tintoretto, 1518-1594

During the Renaissance, the composition of many paintings seemed staged but on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo did not organize figures in tableau-like fashion. Later, when he painted, “The Last Judgment,” he introduced even greater dynamic movement. Many sixteenth century artists admired this aspect of his work and it was Venetian painter Tintoretto’s stated desire to emulate the drawing ability of Michelangelo. Like Michelangelo, Tintoretto was praised in his lifetime and history also has treated him kindly; today, he continues to be regarded as an artist of the highest rank.

When Tintoretto received the commission to create paintings for the Scuola di San Rocco in Venice (an institute dedicated to charitable work), he was free from the whims of patrons. He was given permission to develop his own themes. On the ceiling of Sala Superiore (the upper room of the Scuola di San Rocco) – referred to occasionally as Tintoretto’s “Sistine” ceiling – he painted thirteen scenes from the Old Testament. The themes are on the subject of thirst, hunger, and disease; Tintoretto’s “Elijah Fed by an Angel” is one of the illustrations showing God’s providence in times of hunger.

Biblical events leading to the time when Elijah was fed by an angel goes back to when the people of Israel along with King Ahab, and the priests of Baal went to Mt. Carmel for a display of God’s power. The priests of Baal and Elijah each built an altar. When the priests prayed for fire to offer a sacrifice, their efforts were in vain but when Elijah prayed, an intense fire engulfed the altar of God. After this demonstration, hundreds of the priests of Baal were put to death and King Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, a follower of Baal, became livid. Elijah feared for his life and fled to Beersheba in Judah where he went into the wilderness. He sat under a shrub, prayed, and being exhausted, fell asleep. While asleep, an angel brought bread and water to him. Tintoretto’s painting depicts Elijah lying motionless as he is sleeping in the shade at the edge of the desert. Above him is the angel descending with wings and arms outspread. Elijah was awakened by the angel and he ate the bread; he then fell asleep again. Elijah was awakened once more and told to eat because a long journey awaited him.

Note

A painting is a surface on which pigment has been arranged to create an image. The arts of literature, music, theater, and cinema are like journeys. A duration of time is required to travel, read or listen. It also takes time to fully absorb a painting but its subject can be seen superficially in its entirety at a glance; further study will reveal details and deeper content. Artists have found that similarity (of colors shapes, lines, and textures) forms a very strong visual bond. “Elijah Fed by the Angel,” is unified clearly by similar curvilinear forms. The curves unify the composition and are also related visually to the oval-shaped canvas.

Jezabel and Ahab Meeting Elijah in Naboth’s Vineyard | Art for Proper 6C

Jezabel and Ahab Meeting Elijah in Naboth's Vineyard Giclee — Jezabel and Ahab Meeting Elijah in Naboth’s Vineyard Giclee.
Print by Sir Frank Dicksee Click image for more information.

Commentary by Hovak Najarian

Jezebel and Ahab Meeting Elijah in Naboth’s Vineyard, Frank Dicksee, 1853-1929 [The source of this painting did not cite the date or medium.]

The term “jezebel” has come to mean an embodiment of wickedness in a woman. This association comes from the beautiful Phoenician Princess Jezebel who married King Ahab of Israel during the time of the prophet Elijah. Jezebel was a worshiper of Baal, and a power-seeking woman with no qualms about using any means available to get her way, even murder. After Ahab took her as his bride, possibly for political reasons, she began scheming to bring about the worship of Baal in Israel. Jewish prophets were killed and Elijah was threatened. Ahab, the king, seemed to have neither the will nor the ability to prevent her from doing as she pleased.

One day Ahab decided the vineyard near his castle would be a nice place for a vegetable garden. The vineyard, however, belonged to Naboth and it had been in his family for many generations. Ahab offered to trade another piece of property or pay for it but his offers were rejected. Naboth told Ahab the Lord forbids him to sell his inheritance. When Ahab saw he could not acquire the property, he became ill and would not eat. Jezebel’s quick solution to the problem was to have Naboth killed. Frank Dicksee’s painting depicts the time after Naboths death when Jezebel and Ahab, along with their servants go to the vineyard to claim it. They are surprised by the appearance of a very angry Elijah. The expression on Jezebel’s face expresses her intense dislike of Elijah and her displeasure at being confronted. Early in Dicksee’s career he worked as an illustrator; the painting, “Jezebel and Ahab Meeting Elijah in Naboth’s Vineyard” is likely from that early period. It is a style associated with Sunday School storybook illustrations and differs from the subtle use of color seen typically in Dicksee’s mature paintings.

Dicksee was admired greatly in his lifetime. He became President of the Royal Academy of Art, he was knighted, and King George named him to the Royal Victorian Order. The measure of an artist, however, is determined usually by the insights and understanding they give us about ourselves and the world we experience. Frank Dicksee and Vincent van Gogh were born in the same year (1853) but they followed very different paths. Today, van Gogh’s work continues to stir our emotions whereas Dicksee’s paintings of romanticized events are rarely given attention by art historians.

Note

This painting of Ahab, Jezebel and Elijah is being reproduced currently for commercial purposes and its medium is noted as, “giclee” (zhee-klay). The original image, however, was not created as a print. The French term “giclee, indicates simply that Dicksee’s painting (possibly a watercolor) was reproduced by a finer version of an inkjet printer. When the term “giclee” was coined, the calculated intent was to imbue this copying process with greater cachet. Artists now are creating images directly with inkjet printers but at the present time they are regarded still as pioneers in a new medium.

Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath | Art for Proper 5C

Border with Elijah Raising the Son of the Widow of Sareptha
Simon Bening
Flemish, Bruges, about 1525 – 1530
Tempera colors, gold paint, gold leaf, and ink on parchment
6 5/8 x 4 1/2 in.
MS. LUDWIG IX 19, FOL. 70
Click image for more information.

Commentary by Hovak Najarian

Elijah Raising the Son of the Widow of Zarephath (Painted border), Tempera, gold paint, gold leaf and ink on parchment, c.1525-1530, Simon Bening, 1483-1561

During the Middle Ages, hand made devotional books with text and illuminations were particularly popular in Northern Europe. They contained prayers and biblical passages for use in daily worship and were small in size in order to be carried easily. Often they included a calendar that made note of saints’ days and religious feasts. Flemish artist Simon Bening’s finest work was found in his books of hours (containing the seven canonical prayers of the Church). In them, he included many paintings depicting people at work in labors associated with the seasons. They often were in landscape settings.

In the early sixteenth century, the Renaissance was well established in Italy but in Northern Europe, Gothic influences were still lingering. Yet, change was taking place and although the use of devotional books was declining, Bening’s reputation was well established. An art critic of the time referred to him as the greatest master of illumination in all of Europe. Although his work was in demand, they were not created for the men of the fields. His commissions came from aristocrats and the very wealthy. Among them were the royalty of Spain, Portugal, and Germany. These commissions enabled him to enrich his paintings with the finest of materials including gold leaf and vellum. Today his books are placed in museums.

Although the widow of Zarephath was blessed to have Elijah staying at her home, her good fortune turned to grief when her son became ill and died. Elijah took the dead child to his upper room and placed him on the bed; he then cried out, “O Lord my God, let this child’s soul come into to him again.” God answered Elijah’s prayers and the child returned to life. Upon seeing her son alive again the widow said, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth” (1 Kings 17: 21-24). Simon Bening’s painting is a border around a text on the subject of the power of Christ. “Elijah Raising the Son of the Widow of Zarephath” is on the opposite side of a page depicting the raising of Lazarus; thus a connection is being made between Old and New Testament events.

We are familiar with creative license such as changes and modifications in motion picture biographies. Changes are made in art as well and a common practice is to move the location of an event to a familiar setting. Instead of the widow’s son being taken to an upper bedroom where he is restored to life, Bening places the three principal participants in a peaceful landscape. The widow’s child, like a small lifeless doll, is lying on the ground while she kneels beside it. Elijah stands in prayer. The narrative continues on the right side where we see the widow departing with her son who is now alive and well.

Elijah and priests of Baal | Art for Proper 4C

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Elijah and the Priests of Baal, Oil on Wood, 1545, Lucas Cranach the Younger, 1515-1886

German artist, Lucas Cranach the Elder was known as one of the foremost painters and printmakers of the Northern Renaissance. For much of his life he worked for the Electors of Saxony and was an avid supporter of the Protestant Reformation. His son, Lucas Cranach the Younger, apprenticed with his father and often worked on paintings in the studio with him. At the death of his father, he took over as supervisor of the art workshop. Both Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Younger were friends of Martin Luther and each painted several portraits of him.

Lucas Cranach the Younger’s “Elijah and the Priests of Baal” depicts the result of a long conflict between the Prophet Elijah and King Ahab. When the king married the Phoenician princess, Jezebel, she brought the worship of the idol Baal with her. She convinced Ahab to allow the worship of Baal in Israel and had Jewish prophets put to death. Elijah left Israel and upon his return saw that conditions had become impossible; he demanded a showdown. He told King Ahab to take the people of Israel and the priests of Baal to Mount Carmel. When they were together he told the people their faith could not be divided; they couldn’t have it both ways. He said, “If the LORD is God, follow him, but if Baal, then follow him.” Elijah then proposed a test. Two altars would be built; firewood and a bull as a sacrifice would be placed on each one. Then each would pray for fire to burn the wood and offer the sacrifice. The priests of Baal built their altar and prayed fervently until after midday but their efforts were futile. When it was Elijah’s turn, firewood and the bull to be sacrificed were placed on the altar. For good measure, he dug a trench around its base and asked that four jars of water to be poured over the wood. He asked the same amount to be poured on it twice more causing the wood to be well drenched. As he prayed, fire from above came down dramatically and consumed everything. The water-soaked wood, the sacrificial offering, the stones, and even the water in the trench were engulfed in flames. When the people saw this, they fell down and said, “The LORD indeed is God; the LORD indeed is God.”

The painting, “Elijah and the Priests of Baal,” is crowded densely with people who are there to witness the resolution of this conflict. The altar built by Elijah is on the left side in the foreground and a dark cloud has gathered at the top center of the painting. Pellets of fire from the cloud are sending intense heat to the altar and even the water at the base of the altar is touched by the flame. Elijah is standing to the right of the altar with his arms raised in prayer and in the lower left corner are Elijah’s assistants with their empty water vessels. The altar of Baal is on the right and its wood and sacrifice remain untouched but the persistent priests of Baal are continuing to dance and pray even as the altar built by Elijah is consumed in flames. The crowd on the left is in awe, as is King Ahab who is standing between the altars and looking at the miraculous fire.

Trinity with Three Faces | Art for Trinity C

The Heavenly Jerusalem — Trinity with Three Faces
c.1400
Fresco
Duomo, Atri
ANTONIO DA ATRI
(b. ca. 1350, Atri, d. 1433, Atri)Click image for more information.

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Commentary by Hovak Najarian

Trinity with Three Faces, Fresco, c.1400, Antonio da Atri, c.1350-1433

The much quoted statement, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” is not an ancient Chinese proverb and often not even true. A picture can not represent adequately images that come to mind while hearing words of the Twenty-third Psalm or the Sermon on the Mount. However, it is true that art sometimes can clarify ideas that can not be expressed in words and yet there are times also when neither words nor pictures are adequate. Early Christian artists had to invent or adapt a visual language that could communicate concepts that were difficult to explain through art or through words.

In the early Church, there were questions about how, or if, a depiction of God should (or could) be made in art; if so, what would the image be? After several centuries, God was depicted as a bearded father figure (possibly derived from the Ancient of Days mentioned in the Book of Daniel). A lamb often symbolized Jesus and a dove symbolized the Holy Spirit. As long as members of the Godhead were separate, artists did not have to deal with creating a composite image that represented all three. The three figures that appeared before Abraham were portrayed as the Trinity but they were shown as separate individuals. By placing them adjacent to each other they were seen as a visual unit. Official use of that form of Trinity was ended by the Pope in the eighteenth century but it continued in places such as the American Southwest.

Another attempt to depict the Trinity may be seen in the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta in Atri, Italy. Antonio da Atri’s fresco, “Trinity with Three Faces,” shows Christ standing and facing the viewer. His right arm is raised in a blessing and the left hand is holding a book. In order to depict Christ as part of the Trinity, Antonio has given the figure one body but three faces. Right and left profiles have been added to Jesus’ head. All three faces have radiating lines and halos. As a fashionable background, Antonio painted a late Gothic arch and decorative elements as a setting for the figure.

Multi-headed divinities existed in other religions and although this three-faced Trinity was accepted by the Roman Catholic hierarchy, it was ridiculed by Protestants. It was called the “Catholic Cerberus.” [In Greek mythology, Cerberus was the three-headed dog that guarded the gates of Hades.] As a consequence, in the sixteenth century the Pope ended use of the three-faced Trinity but the image remained in remote regions. Pope Innocent XII went further in the seventeenth century and ordered them all to be destroyed. The three-faced Trinity at the Basilica of Atri survived because it was not in sight. It and other frescos at the Basilica had been covered with plaster for fear their surfaces in some way could contribute to the spread of the Plague.

Note

The statement, “A picture is worth a thousand words” is not an ancient proverb. It is derived from an early twentieth century American advertising slogan.

The Pentecost | Art for Pentecost C

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Commentary by Hovak Najarian
The Pentecost, Oil on Canvas, c.1600, El Greco, 1541-1614

Domenikos Theotokopoulos, a Greek native of Crete, first studied Byzantine art with the intention of becoming an icon painter. Crete was a Venetian colony at that time and at about age twenty Domenikos went to Venice to study the paintings of masters such as Titian. Following his stay in Venice, he worked and taught in Rome and then moved to Spain where he became known simply as El Greco (The Greek). Spain became his home for the remainder of his life and by the time “The Pentecost” was painted for an Augustinian seminary in Madrid, his style was dramatically different from his earlier work. In this late style, El Greco’s paintings have elements of expressionism and often are described as having a sense of mystery.

In Acts of the Apostles an account is given of the day of Pentecost when the twelve apostles, as well as Mary and people of many nationalities were gathered in one place. All at once the sound of a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the room: “And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:2-4)

El Greco’s “Pentecost,” (now in the Prado Museum, Madrid) was painted to be an altarpiece. Its height above floor level would place the seminarians at the lower part of the painting and they would see the subject matter increase in complexity as their gaze moved upward toward Mary, the apostles, and the plumes of fire. A dove at the top of the painting represents the Holy Spirit; its wings are spread and the light that surrounds it is radiating downward over the gathering. The two men in the foreground at the bottom of a short flight of stairs have lifted their arms and are leaning back slightly in order to look at the dove. Mary (dressed in red and blue) is seated at the center of the painting with apostles gathered around her; two other women are included in the painting. The woman at Mary’s left shoulder is thought to be Mary Magdalene and the fourth person from the left side may be Martha. [Acts states that when the apostles prayed, they did so with “…women and Mary.”] El Greco also included himself in this painting. His face is second from the right; he is the man with a white beard who seems to be in deep thought and is not looking up toward the dove.
Although the term, “Expressionism,” did not come into use until the twentieth century, it is an apt term for El Greco’s late paintings. Expressionism is the result of an artist’s effort to project emotional intensity and inner feelings into a work. The figures in “The Pentecost” are not posing for a formal group portrait. They are an animated informal mix of people who in body language and facial expression are reacting individually, and yet they are part of the collective experience. They are responding with awe and excited emotional involvement as they take part in this miraculous event.

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Commentary by Hovak Najarian