New 'Posts by topic' section

You may have noticed a couple of recent additions to the 'Bible illustration blog'.
I have been slowly adding 'Related links' to the end of each post. Also, I have now added a 'Posts grouped by Topic' section, which you will find in the right hand column just below the pale blue WCPE link banner.
This should make it a lot easier for you to find the subjects that I've blogged about. e.g. If you are interested in posts that relate to 'Biblical buildings' or the 'Ark of the Covenant' they can now be easily found grouped into topics in this section!

Although it was possible to find all the posts in the 'Archives' section it was not possible to view them by topic. Now you can! This is a work in progress as only two thirds of the posts have been added to this section so far, so keep an eye out for new topics!

Both these additions will hopefully further enhance your browsing experience of the B.I.B. Since adding these two additions I've noticed that the average time spent on the site has almost doubled! So these may be a helpful tips for other bloggers.

The Bible picture above is from the story of the 'Temptation of Jesus' which is not finished as yet. Dr Leen Ritmeyers superb book on Herod's Temple, (The Quest), has been a great help for this particular story. I will be blogging about 'The Quest' and the 'Temptation' story soon.

Related posts:
New 'Search' feature!
New 'Bible Artist' list

Herbert Gustave Schmalz (1856-1935)

This is the third 'Guest article' written by Paul Green for the 'Bible illustration blog'.
Herbert Gustave Schmalz (1856-1935)
Born near Newcastle in 1856 to a German father, Schmalz moved to London at the age of seventeen before enrolling at the South Kensington Art School and later, the Royal Academy. After studying in Antwerp, Schmalz returned to London to establish his career.
Time spent in Jerusalem in 1890 served him well for his New Testament work in the years to follow. A mixture of Pre-Raphaelite and Victorian Neo-Classicism the paintings are effective for their atmospheric use of light in creating a mood of foreboding and sorrow.
In “Return From Calvary” (1891) the woman looks over her shoulder to the three crosses on distant Golgotha, overshadowed by dark storm clouds. The light in the far distance foreshadows the glory to come.
“The Solitude of Sorrow” (1905) shows Jesus undergoing his temptation in the desert. The painting reflects the inner struggle and isolation of Jesus as he prepares the path for his imminent ministry.
Text © Paul Green 2008.

Other articles by Paul Green:
Henry Ossawa Tanner
Carl Heinrich Bloch

More Questions

We have a few more 'Bible illustration' related questions from two Bible artists.
The first ones came in from Nathan (Jumbo) who runs the Biblical Animation blog.
Nathan has been working on a film based on the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel ch 2. Here are his questions:

1. Would the image in Nebuchadnezzar's dream have worn a loin cloth? Was the statue Nebuchadnezzar saw clothed or nude? The Bible gives details about it's breast, belly, thighs and legs--all items that wouldn't be visible when wearing the typical clothing of the day. Add to this the symbolism of the statue (man's kingdoms/man's reign), and this creates the problem.
(When I illustrated this story I added a loin cloth for the sake of modesty, which most Bible artists seem to do. Graham).

2. What other objects might have been found in Nebuchadnezzar's bedroom? Also, where might references of these objects be found?
Nathan has already added a Mesopotamian bed, some lamp stands, and two barrel-vault windows flanking the bed.

The second set of questions came from Levi. Here they are:
3. Are there any resources available regarding the hairstyles of Hebrew men during Biblical times?

4. Were there differences in dress between the idolatrous temple workers (i.e. prostitues) and the general female dress of the time, and if so, what were they?

5. I noticed that people were able to tell that Peter, in Mark 14:70; Luke 22:59 as well as the apostles in Acts 2:7, were Galilaeans. Did Galilaeans dress differently than anyone else, or were they like the Samaritans having different features?

These are all good questions that will take a little research to answer, (unless someone out there already knows the answers!) All comments are welcome!
Levi also wanted to know where he might find good reference for authentic Biblical clothing. I originally set up Bibleartist.com for the purpose of displaying photos of replica Bible clothing, (until I realized how hard they were to find!)
The 'Nazareth Village Project' have some nice photos of authentic Biblical costume. They also produced some replica clothing for CMJ for a live exhibition. (see picture above, © cmj 2008).

Looking at the photo above reminded me to say that if you are going to the trouble of having authentic Bible costumes made and getting people to pose in them, remember to ask your models NOT to smile on the photos-!!
 
Related posts:
Question 1
Question 2
Gathering Bible References
More Biblical costume reference!
Which Bible clothing colors should I use?