This Lent, in Theology Class, our clergy have been teaching a whole series on Christian art. The artists included the old masters and artists still living. Artists Black, white, and Asian. Here are just a few highlights:
Of course, we looked at Caravaggio:
Here is his painting of the Entombment:
It seems that Caravaggio had a bad temper. He actually murdered somebody and became a fugitive!
Stanley Lee was a modern English painter. His paintings of Christ reminded me of clouds.
Here is Christ praying in the garden:
Our newest priest is from Korea, The Rev. Juyoung Prisca Lee-Pae. She taught about a Korean artist,
Ki-Chang Kim. A Christian missionary during the Korean war suggested he paint biblical scenes with a Korean backdrop. He made a series of about 30 paintings on the Life of Christ. Here is Jesus carrying his cross:
Tyler Ballon is a young Black artist living in Jersey City. A Christian, his parents were both Pentecostal preachers, and he had no exposure to art until he went to Catholic school. He was drawn to art, but the old masters all seemed to depict Jesus as very white (the classic blue-eyed “Malibu Jesus”)
So he started painting Christ as a Black man in modern times. Here is his Pieta. (Many Black moms have experience with their innocent sons being murdered by the state):
And here is is “Deposition” (placing the body of Christ in the tomb). Note the influence of Caravaggio (1st painting above) Note that blue is a color associated with the Virgin Mary.
