Guest Bible Artist interview #5

Annie Vallotton.
You may not be familiar with the name 'Annie Vallotton', but you will almost certainly have seen her pictures! Which is not surprising as a press release I came across recently from publisher HarperCollins claims that Ms Vallotton is the "Best selling artist of all time!" What you might find surprising though is that this 'best selling artist of all time' is famous for her Bible pictures! Swiss born Annie Vallotton, who now lives in Paris, provided the line illustrations for the 'Good News Bible' back in the 60's. According to the press release from HarperCollins, Ms Vallotton's picture sales are in excess of 70 billion-!!
last month, the 'American Church in Paris' dedicated a new library to Ms Vallotton called the 'Annie Vallotton lending library' and Ms Vallotton attended the service. (see picture above courtesy of Mike Norris).
Our 'Contact in Paris' Paula Taquet-Woolfolk, who attends the ACP, very kindly offered to interview Ms Vallotton on behalf of the Bible illustration blog, and conducted the interview in both French and English.

Before we go into the interview I would like to share with you a little bit about Annie Vallotton that Paula discovered while having lunch with her.
Annie, fresh from her art studies, didn't launch herself into a career, but worked in the refugee camps during the second World War painting frescos on the walls making them more welcoming to the refugees who included families from Poland, Estonia, and the Baltic region. Annie worked through the night on the murals and slept during the day!
It was while working in a refugee centre in Toulouse that AV met her lifelong friend Jeanne Bulté. Jeanne Bulté was a social worker, who was assigned to work in the same refugee center in Toulouse. During the war, both Annie and Jeanne worked in the Resistance. Annie's Swiss nationality helped her when she transported mail back and forth. While working in the camps Annie and Jeanne met Bertie Albrecht, (the leader of the Résistantes - the female part of the Resistance). Bertie told Annie that Annie's grandfather, Paul Vallotton, had baptised her many years before!
Later, Annie saw Bertie Albrecht on one of the streets of Paris, heavily disguised. Bertie told Annie that she had acted insane while she was in prison so that she could get out. Bertie continued to work in the Resistance until she was killed by the Germans.
Annie comes from a very talented family. Her father, Benjamin Vallotton, was a well known writer and wrote 55 books. Her father's cousin was the well known painter Félix Vallotton. Annie's brother Pierre followed in the footsteps on his Grandfather and became a minister. He also built by hand many magnificent church organs! Annie herself is also very musical and plays the violin.

The Interview:
How did you come to illustrate the Good News Bible, and how many illustrations did you complete for it?
In the early 60s, a man from the American Bible Society, American Eugene Nida (currently living in Brussels), contacted me from Germany to ask me if I could come to Stuttgart where he had ten minutes only during which he wanted to see me. Was I willing? Yes I was willing. I met him at the airport and he had one of my very first books with him. He wanted me to make illustrations for the Good News Bible (GNB) an edition for children, and he wanted the same kinds of illustrations that I had done in this book. He said "I want very much to have Your illustrations because your illustrations are very simple, and we love them!"
He said "Are you ready to do this?" I replied "Yes, I am quite ready!" I was very excited. Then I started doing the Bible illustrations and I've been doing them all of my life! (AV laughs). I believe I did around 510 drawings!
All in Black and white?
Yes, all in black and white unfortunately. I have recently received a new edition published by the Korean Bible Society with my illustrations in color. I was very surprised to see it in colour! I believe this is the first edition of the GNB with all illustrations in color. I asked the American Bible Society to make one, they agreed, but I've been waiting for three years!

Can you remember how long it took you to illustrate the Good News Bible?
I can't remember. It took me a long long time I must say, I didn't want to have illustrations with many lines. My desire was to have just the main lines. This is why I did some of the drawings 80-90 times before I achieved the one I wanted. I wanted to simplify them the most I could. I wanted to get to the truth...the most important thing!

Did you have an interest in the Bible before you were asked to illustrate the GNB?
Yes, I became a Christian at one month of age, (AV laughs), so I've always been interested in the Bible. My younger brother, Pierre Vallotton, is a minister, (now retired). He was at the Reformed Church of Saint-Dié, in the Vosges (Église Réformée de Saint-Dié). He built the organ there and asked me to design six stained-glass windows depicting the Creation. It was a fascinating job to do! (see windows below). Also on one of the inside walls of the Église Réformée de Saint-Dié, there's a large painting by the French painter and Pastor Henri Lindegaard (1925- 1996).


Can you remember having any difficulty depicting any Biblical characters, or a particular Bible story?
No particular difficulties - I wanted to illustrate everything, even if it was very difficult. My desire made it easy. I wanted to reach the youngsters.

Your style has a timelessness about it due to its simplicity, and yet at the same time, you manage to get so much expression 
into each picture. Did you illustrate the GNB in your own style, or did you simplify your own style?
Yes, yes. Exactly so! I wanted to be as simple as I could, especially for the youngsters, but also for the adults too!

Many people have commented that your pictures never distract from the text, and never try to interpret the story. Was his difficult to accomplish?
I did not find this difficult to accomplish, because I tried to find total simplicity.

Did you find yourself having to do much research into Bible clothing, buildings, customs etc?
I had no need to research clothing or buildings, you see, I wanted drawings that were 'out of time'.


What did you use to illustrate the pictures with? Also, did you add colour to any of the pictures yourself?
I used a pencil to do the roughs and a pen to ink them. I never added color, someone else did that.

Do you still do any Bible illustrations?
Yes! What I am doing a lot now is speaking to children in many different churches. On 21st September I will be speaking at 'Temple du Foyer de l'Âme'. I am going to this church to speak to the children about the Lord, and to draw for the children. I hope to have a lot of children there. I will teach them a song also! (AV sings a little chorus for Paula, she's very musical!)

Have you illustrated any other Bible related books?
Yes, several. 'Priority: Jesus' life in 60 drawings', 'From the Apple to the Moon', 'The Mighty One and Sam', 'Who Are You Jesus', 'The Man who said No: Story of Jonah' also 'Blessed Are the Peacemakers'. I also worked with author Claire-Lise de Benoit. Our books were published in Africa in many different dialects. Over one hundred I believe!

Bible artists rarely get recognized for their work, but this month saw the opening of a library in Paris dedicated to you! (At the American Church in Paris)
Was this a big surprise to you? 
Nothing coming from the Americans surprises me! (AV laughs). I was very, very touched, I love the American people.

I read on the internet recently that, according to the publisher Harper Collins, you are the 'Best selling Artist of all time'. Do you have any comments on that?
(Ms Vallotton laughs) Laughter is the king, and saves one's life! You especially need humor! Too many people read the Bible with a severe face! I say no, the Bible is not that! The Bible is life, and it is wonderful! (Paula agrees).


The photo above was taken in the church which Annie attends and shows her speaking to the children with the aid of an overhead projector. Annie Vallotton clearly loves children, and has dedicated her life to presenting the Bible message in the clearest possible way to them. It's fitting that the illustrator of the 'Good News' Bible is still active presenting the Good News in person! I would like to close with a quote from another interview with Anne Vallotton conducted by Annie Biroleau-Lemagny. (kindly translated by Paula Taquet-Woolfolk).
"She (Annie) attributes the success (of her pictures) to the simplicity, and the absence of ethnocentrism which permits each person to project his own face and his own culture onto her graphic suggestions".

Thank you so much again Ms Vallotton for agreeing to the interview. A big thank you also to Paula Taquet-Woolfolk for conducting the interview, and Mike Norris, also from the American Church in Paris, for providing the photo of the dedication service.
As Ms Vallotton has no internet access, I will send a selection of the comments that readers leave on this post for her to see.

Update: December 2009
Just received a Christmas card from Annie in which she writes:
"I love very much all what is said in the comments on the Bible illustration blog...... All the comments go in my heart because they look so sincere."
Annie goes on to say that she wants to write a reply to each comment which she is doing slowly. I will add these comments as soon as I receive them.

Black and white photo © Eglise Réformée de l'Oratoire du Louvre 2008.
Annie Vallotton illustrations © Bible society 2008

Related posts:
Interview with Jeff Anderson
Interview with Keith Neely
Interview with Diana Shimon
Interview with Dr Leen Ritmeyer

A Gift Returned with Love

I am deeply indebted to Prof Sandy Brewer for the loan of the very rare book 'A Gift Returned with Love' which is a brief autobiography by Bible artist Elsie Anna Wood. EAW was 87 years old at the time of writing and was living in a nursing home in Norwich. She died 4 years later in 1978 at the age of 91.This is one of the most unusual books I've ever seen. It has obviously been self published presumably at a low cost and is very simply bound. It contains no pictures, and the text is in a typewriter font which gives it the feel of an original manuscript. Combined with the poor quality paper, the impression is given that this is an unimportant book which it most certainly is not! Anyone with an interest in Bible illustration will find this a wonderfully fascinating and important book! It deserves to be reprinted and fully illustrated with EAW's full color pictures.

EAW saw herself as a 'Missionary Artist', and a successor in this respect to Harold Copping. A Missionary artist is one who provides pictures for missionary societies to help them present the Gospel message. EAW was a missionary artist in the true sense as not only did she go to live amongst the people that she was drawing, but just as a missionary has to learn a new language in order to effectively communicate, she also adapted her style of illustration, or rather she learned the 'visual language' of the people in order that her illustrations would be better understood by them. When in Egypt she wrote:
"...everything had to be noted and learnt, before I could begin to draw in a way which would be familiar and acceptable to the children who knew only their own country and its ways". She also makes an interesting observation about light and shadow in the Holy Land.
"Here I observed that even in representational paintings there was no use of shadows, as we are accustomed to see in Europe.....I began to perceive that this flat shadowless treatment was in fact due to the actual appearance of things in intense light. For the strong sunlight on the ground reflects light onto vertical surfaces, almost abolishing shadows". She also wrote "I found that when at the first I drew in pen and ink, using fine lines and cross-hatching for shadows to which I had been accustomed, the comment might be "Why has he got dirt on his face?" So I learnt that I must follow the Eastern manner and do without shadow....Although at the time I did not realise it, this study was for me equivalent to the language study with which most people started their missionary career. I was learning not word language but picture language".

EAW was especially thrilled to visit Jerusalem. She wrote "I am in love with Jerusalem. It is a much more beautiful place than I had imagined." she did regret not staying in the Jewish quarter of the city however, as she explains "It is probable that if I had lived in that Jewish Quarter I should have painted my pictures with more of the Hebrew rather than Arab touch."

When asked how long it might take her to complete the task of illustrating the 'Life of Christ' in fifty pictures, EAW estimated two years. She later commented "I had at first, in my ignorance, estimated that I would need two years to complete fifty pictures-!! Then I thought that they could be done in five years. Finally, with some other work undertaken, I found that 35 years had passed when nearly one hundred had gone to press. She had commented earlier "I don't want to sacrifice quality to speed though, in fact I just can't."
Sandy Brewer informed me that EAW had been involved in a car accident while in the Holy Land which had affected her eyesight.
EAW had hoped to be able to complete 100 Bible pictures, and despite problems with her eyesight, she still managed to complete 95!

EAW's research was second to none! In 1934, in preparation for her pictures of the Nativity she travelled to Bethlehem and sketched the landscape and the people. Later, when she had to draw Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, (see left), she travelled to Jerusalem and stayed in a little hostel belonging to the Greek Orthodox Convent which was situated in the upper garden itself. EAW comments "For the Gethsemane drawing, I had to get my information about the probable position and appearance of things. It would have been a moonlight scene, for Passover was at the time of full moon." While at the convent she would go out at night "to sit among the olives and try to determine what exactly is the colour of moonlight. I made rough charcoal studies of the trees (one cannot paint by moonlight) then I would come indoors and colour my sketches according to what I remembered, and out again, till I became too weary."
After EAW describes in her book the great lengths she went to in choosing the location for the Crucifixion picture, she says "Of course such detail as this makes no difference to the intrinsic truth of the story, but it does make a considerable difference to the maker of the picture, for the sense of actuality of a definite place and situation creates a firm basis on which the scene can be built up in one's mind." I agree with this comment wholeheartedly. If all the detail that Bible artists include in their pictures only satisfies them, it's been well worth the effort!

I found the book thrilling! I could associate with so much of what EAW speaks about, even down to the way she chooses a paintbrush! But what is most helpful is the wonderful way that EAW vividly describes the colors and scenery of the Holy Land. This book can only be described as a feast! I'm so glad that EAW wrote this book. In her closing remarks she writes "I look back to the day when, singing in the Sunday School, I mentally decided to be "on the Lord's side". A child's resolution has never been regretted. And as I trace the series of events which led to the task of painting the life of Christ, I see that He has acknowledged my resolve. For hardly a Sunday School or even a Day School is without at least some of my pictures of that life.
But how very much of their value depends not only on the pictures but upon the teachers who use them, giving children an awareness of Christ, His love and His power."
Elsie Anna Wood was a special lady with a great gift. A gift that she used for her Lord. It was a 'Gift returned with Love'.

Pictures © SPCK 2008

Related posts:
Elsie Anna Wood
More Elsie Anna Wood Bible Art

The Lost Sheep

Our latest Bible picture story to be completed is 'The Lost Sheep'.
There are 4 pictures in this set which brings our total Bible picture count to 729.
Part of picture 4 (right) shows the traditional method used by shepherds to carry sheep.

Drawing a Biblical Shepherd!
I thought I might share with you a few bits of information about Biblical Shepherds that might come in useful to anyone who needs to draw one.
The equipment of a shepherd:
We only usually identify a shepherd in our pictures by the addition of a staff or crook, but there were a number of other items that a shepherd used too. Many shepherds like David used a sling. A sling was used to both ward off or kill predators that threatened the sheep. What happened though, if the stone missed its target, or the predator was too close for the sling to be used? In Psalm 23, David says "Thy Rod and Thy staff, they comfort me." We've already mentioned
the shepherds staff which was used to hook under the front legs of a sheep that was in danger, and lift it to safety. It was the rod however that the shepherd used to defend both himself and the sheep at close quarters when the sling had failed.
This rod, which you can see being used by a shepherd in the picture (left) by Elsie Anna Wood, was more like a two foot long club, thicker at one end and typically made of oak wood. Sometimes spikes were driven into the hitting end for greater impact! It was a club like this that David used to rescue the lamb from the lion's mouth. David, who was familiar with the shepherds 'tools of the trade,' uses the picture of both the rod and staff to show how God is one who would both Defend and Rescue him in times of trouble. This was a great comfort to him.
A Scrip was a bag that was made of a dried goat's skin and was used by the shepherd to carry his food such as bread, cheese, olives or dried fruit. The shepherd also carried a cloak which doubled up as his bedding at night.

The shepherds entertainment:
Shepherds spent long hours out in the fields, and remember there were no ipods or GoBibles to listen to in those days, they had to make their own entertainment which was often in the form of music.
A flute was often taken into the fields to pass the time. No doubt this had a calming effect on the sheep too!
Were the sheep the first to hear Davids harp playing?

The Shepherd as a Door:
The sheepfold was often just a circular dry stone wall with an opening that served as an entrance into it. It was in this opening that the shepherd sat and slept. In this way the shepherd both protected the sheep from danger and stopped them from straying. The shepherd was acting as a door to the sheepfold. This is what the Lord Jesus was speaking of when He referred to Himself as the 'Door of the sheep'. (John 10: 7-10)

I hope that this has been helpful. All comments welcome!
Elsie Anna Wood picture © SPCK.

Related posts:
What do 'Ewe' think?

Jesus in the Temple

Our latest Bible picture story is of the 12 year old Jesus in the Temple, (Luke 2:41-51). Picture 1 shows Mary Joseph and Jesus stopping for a moment on a hillside overlooking Jerusalem. As they admire the view, many people are making their way to the temple for the Passover feast.

Picture 2 shows the family climbing the steps approaching one of the gates in the outer wall of the temple complex. Some artists have shown the Shofar being blown when depicting this story, I've checked this out from two sources and both have confirmed that the shofar was not blown at passover. If you would like to know what the shofar sounds like, click here. (It sounds remarkably like me practicing my bugle when I was in the boy scouts!) Picture 2 also shows Jesus carrying the sacrificial lamb on His shoulders.
Update: 31.08.08
I've been asked the question "Should the Lord Jesus, being sinless, have been taking a lamb for a sacrifice? Might this suggest that He had sins to atone for?"
The answer is no! The Passover is very different from the day of Atonement. The Paschal lambs offered at Passover were not considered as an atonement for sin, or a sin offering. Passover is a time when the nation of Israel celebrates the deliverance of the LORD by means of the blood of the lamb. For a more detailed explanation click here.
This was again foreshadowing the sacrifice of Jesus. Just as the Israelites were safe from Gods judgement as they took shelter under the blood of the lamb applied to the door posts and lintel, we can only be safe from the judgement of God on our sins by taking refuge under the shed blood of Christ which is applied when we fully trust in Jesus and His sacrifice as the only way back to God. (John 14: 6)

Picture 3 shows Mary and Joseph on their way home from Jerusalem and discussing where Jesus is. It was a three day trip from Jerusalem to Nazareth, so they were almost half way home when they realised that Jesus was missing!
Picture 4 (above) shows Jesus in the temple reading from a scroll. Mary and Joseph are looking on in the background. The Hebrew text on the scroll is readable and Jumbo, (our language expert), informs me that it's from Exodus 12!

Picture 5 (right) shows Mary and Joseph talking with Jesus. The viewpoint is from the 'Eastern Gate' looking across the 'Womens Court' to the Temple.
The bronze doors of the Nicanor Gate are now open revealing the magnificent 'Golden Vine' of the temple just inside the porch. The golden doors are open so the curtain, that was the subject of the 'Defending Rembrandt' post, is drawn across the entrance. You can just make out the Altar to the right of Jesus' shoulder. In the larger version of this picture you can see, (if your eyesight's good), a scarlet line around the waist of the altar.
There is no mention in the scriptures of a scarlet line around the Altar of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness nor in that in the Temple of Solomon, but according to Middot 3.2. a red line surrounded the middle of the Altar that stood in front of Herod's Temple.
Source 'The Quest' pg367.
It's now 3-4 days after the passover and work on the Temple has resumed as can be seen by the Herodian craftsmen carrying timber in the background of this picture.

Following our discussion on symbolism in the paintings of the earlier Bible artists, (see comments on the 'Elsie Anna Wood' post), I decided to add some symbolism into this picture. I've shown the body of Jesus touching the Altar, (although the Altar is some distance away). This is a reminder that, 21 years later, the 'Lamb of God' would be sacrificed, not on an Altar but on a cross, for the sins of the world.

A very short distance from this spot (the Holy of Holies) in Old Testament times, God had provided a Ram as a substitute for Isaac. This was a foretelling of Gods plan to provide a perfect sinless sacrifice (Jesus) to die as a substitute for the sins of the world so that "Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life". John 3:16.

There are 5 pictures in this set which brings our total Bible picture count to 725.

Related posts:
What did Herod's Temple look like?
The Quest

More 'Elsie Anna Wood' Bible Art

By popular demand we have two more samples of the Bible Art of 'Elsie Anna Wood' very kindly supplied by Dr Sandy Brewer. The first one is titled 'Jairus' daughter'. The second picture is 'Jesus stilling the storm'.

I've received a lot of emails from people wanting to know more about this artist and wanting to see more of her work. Sadly, there's only one book that's been written about this artist titled 'A Gift Returned With Love' which I believe is very hard to get hold of. This is surprising as she really sounds like a fascinating lady.
If I hear of any others books I'll let everyone know via the blog.

I would love to see an illustrated Bible using the Bible illustrations of artists from this era, Elsie Anna Wood, Harold Copping, Cicely Mary Barker, and William Hole etc. With an introduction by Sandy Brewer! Now that would be an illustrated children's Bible worth having!

Click on the pictures to see a larger image.

Related posts:
Elsie Anna Wood

Defending Rembrandt

I recently came across a very interesting article on JSTOR titled 'Rembrandt and Josephus' by Franz Landsberger who I believe was professor of 'The History of Art' at the University of Breslau. The article was originally printed in the The Art Bulletin in 1954 and can be viewed here.

In the article professor Landsberger informs us that amongst the inventory of Rembrant's possesions taken in 1656 were the complete works of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. Landsberger goes on to show us that Rembrant studied the works of Josephus when working on his Bible pictures of the Temple. He comments:
Rembrandt has represented the Temple in Jerusalem on several occasions but never in such detail as in the etching of 1659, Peter and John at the Gate of the Temple. (See above). Where did Rembrandt get information about the appearance of this Temple?...........This Temple has been described in detail, though not always systematically and clearly, by the Jewish historiographer Josephus.........I maintain that the artist followed that description.

Landsberger also mentions how Rembrandt used the German translation of Josephus which omits certain details about Herod's temple which led Rembrandt to illustrate a round as opposed to a square altar. Rembrandt also places the altar at the top of the 12 steps leading to the temple. The Altar was in fact accessed by a ramp and was positioned in front of, and offset to the left of the 12 steps in the Temple court. (according to a diagram in The Quest').
It looks like a very interesting article although, not being a subscriber to JSTOR, I only have access to the first page of it! There is one observation that professor Landsberger makes about the canopy in Rembrandt's etching (above) though, that I disagree with. He writes:
The second gate, leading from the porch to the Holy, had a costly curtain which Josephus describes in Antiquities and the War of the Jews. He calls it a "Babylonian curtain" and praises its colors and patterns. Rembrandt, in order to show this curtain, has pulled it forward so that it spans the porch like a canopy. The portion of it which hangs down perpendicularly, shows an indication of the patterns mentioned by Josephus.

Pulling forward a curtain in the temple so that viewers could see it didn't sound to me like something that a Bible artist would do. Dr Leen Ritmeyer confirmed my doubts when he explained to me the purpose of this curtain.
"The veil was intended to screen the entrance to the sanctuary, so that people couldn't look into it when the doors were opened. It was never used as a canopy".
I believe that the canopy shown in Rembrandt's etching is just that, a canopy! Typical of the canopies that most Bible artists include in their pictures. I have gleaned one helpful bit of information from all of this; The entrance to the sanctuary was concealed either by the magnificent golden doors or, when the doors were open, by the "Babylonian curtain" described by Josephus in War 5.212
All comments welcome!

Green text © Franz Landsberger 1954.

Egermeier's Bible Story book

I've finally got hold of a copy of 'Egermeier's Bible Story book' written by Elsie E. Egermeier and illustrated by Clive Uptton, and I must say that it's superb!
If you're a parent, grand parent, or Bible illustrator, and you've been looking for a good children's Bible, this is the one for you! It's one of the best children's Bible story books to come out in recent years! I would highly recommend it.

This book contains 122 excellent illustrations by Clive Uptton, and has a very useful 'question and answer' section on each story that parents and children will love. These questions will be very useful too for children's quizzes. There are many other features too that you don't normally see in a children's Bible story book.

Full marks to the 'Warner Press' team!

Related posts:
Clive Uptton

Elsie Anna Wood

Many thanks to Prof Sandy Brewer for writing our fourth 'Guest Article' for the Bible illustration blog. Click on the pictures below for a larger image.

Elsie Anna Wood (1887 – 1978)

Elsie Anna Wood was born into a Baptist family who were all active in the local chapel in Crouch End, North London. Like so many other women illustrators – e.g. Cicely Mary Barker, Margaret Tarrant and Eileen Soper - she was fortunate in having an artistically talented father to encourage her precocious talents. Charles Wood worked in the art department of a London publishing firm, and, from a very early age, she was encouraged to draw and paint , and introduced to the tools, materials and skills required of a commercial artist. Elsie attended the Hornsey School of Art from the age of seventeen but was prevented from advancing to the Academy schools of art by a change in her family’s circumstances that necessitated her seeking paid employment. She produced illustrations for various publications working only in pencil or ink and taking up the challenge of full colour illustrations for books in her early twenties. Up to this point Elsie Anna Wood’s life might have taken the trajectory of contemporaries such as Margaret Tarrant who lived and worked in the Engish Home Counties, but in 1919 she successfully applied for a job with the Nile Mission Press working under the auspices of Constance Padwick in Cairo. Her role was to provide the accompanying illustrations for the children’s literature produced by the Press. The post was for six months and enabled Elsie to travel through Palestine as well as Egypt.

After returning to the UK she unsuccessfully applied to serve as a missionary overseas, but five years after leaving Cairo she was asked to return to Egypt to work for the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge (SPCK). It is the work she produced for the SPCK that made the name of Elsie Anna Wood synonymous with Bible illustration all around the world. Many artists before her had travelled to the Holy Land - e.g. Tissot, Hole, and Copping – to observe at first hand the people and places of the Bible, but none of them had moved beyond the experience of a tourist to live and work among the people as Elsie Anna Wood did. As a result of her close observation and drawing from Palestinian models, she has, uniquely, shown us a Christ from Palestine which is in stark contrast to the conventional blonde European portrayal of Jesus adopted by most twentieth century Bible illustrators. But her bible illustrations were innovative in other ways too.

In her illustration of the infant Jesus (left) she shows us a self-confident child who looks out – confrontationally - at the audience.
In the background detail of picture 1, (above right) she reminds us that Jesus spent his early years in Egypt. Dr Brewer pointed out to me that the boats in the background of picture one (above) are 'Dhows' which were traditional Arab sailing vessels. GK

In picture 4, (bottom centre), the depiction of Jesus as healer, she conveys the light and shade and the movement of the crowd in the confined space of a Palestinian town. Finally, in what is my favourite of all of her illustrations of Jesus blessing the children (below right) she makes the disciples sympathetic characters and does away with the forbidding effect they might have on young viewers.
It is an interesting composition which adopts as its point of view that of a child and the effect produced is one of looking upwards to Jesus. There is also a strong impression created of a crowd pressing in on Christ and, as in other versions of the scene, there is a tree arching over the top of the picture, but this one is laden with pomegranates – a fruit with particular symbolic significance for Christians. As we look longer into the picture, other small figures become visible, one of whom is holding onto Jesus’ robe, smiling shyly while looking out at the viewer. Jesus is shown holding one small child, as is the convention in the scene, but what is different here is that he is reaching out to touch the head of a baby, which is being held by one of the disciples. This man is looking down at the baby with what appears to be puzzlement and Christ is depicted as looking at him and smiling. At the top left of the picture is another disciple, again with an infant in his arms. This is not a scene of rejection but of joyful happiness and among its many innovations is that Jesus is shown with his hair cut short and his beard clipped, as are the disciples who look like the young men they actually were, rather than the elderly patriarchs of convention.

This picture is carefully composed to take account of the predispositions of the very young child. For example, it is notable that in many hymns for children the writers never seem to tire of stressing the smallness of children yet this picture offers a way for the young viewer to overcome the limitations of its small stature in relation to that of adults. The dynamic of the composition is created by the line of sight which starts with the mother in the bottom left hand corner, moves up past the two small children, on to Jesus’ face, and ends with the smiling face of a little girl sitting on her mother’s shoulders. It is an adult who is in the lowest position in the picture and a child in the highest.

The format of Sunday school kindergarten lesson was the telling of an illustrated story, followed by activities linked to what had been heard. Within that context, this picture offers a multitude of opportunities for imaginative engagement with what is being depicted. Because some of the detail is half-hidden in the picture, it offers the chance of a game of seeking out visual information – an activity that requires the involvement of the teacher. The attention to detail of dress and ornamentation is again typical of the artist, but also indicative of the level of authenticity that publishers and educationalists expected. Learning about the dress, the customs, and geography of the Holy Land was all part of the process of making Christ real for children. Having lived and worked in the Holy Land, Wood was familiar with the inhabitants and was able to produce depictions of Jesus, his disciples and the people around him as clearly belonging to Palestine, whilst at the same time avoiding the orientalist excesses of other illustrators.

Elsie Anna Wood produced over 100 bible illustrations for the SPCK, which were published in various formats as books, postcards, attendance stamps, as well as large posters for the Sunday school classroom. The pictures were produced for educational purposes and to that end seem to transcend the limitations of two dimensions by compositional devices which draw the viewer further into the picture the longer one looks at it.

Elsie Anna Wood was a remarkable woman making her own living in the UK and the Holy Land at a time when society deemed a woman’s place to be in the home. She was not only a brilliant artist, she was also more astute in her business dealings than other Bible illustrators. When Harold Copping produced his sixty-four illustrations for the Religious Tract Society he was given a fixed sum for each completed picture with no royalties for the millions of reproductions which followed from his work. In addition, he was legally prohibited by the society from producing Bible illustrations for any other publisher. Elsie Anna wood on the other hand, had the foresight to opt for a contract, which gave her royalties on reproductions of her work and not just a one-off payment for each picture. This gave her a steady, if modest income which supported her through her long and productive life. Elsie Anna Wood died in a Norwich nursing home in 1978 but her work lives on, albeit with substantially less public recognition than it deserves. These short notes offer just a brief overview of the artist and a longer article will surface in the near future.
© Dr Sandy Brewer 2008

Related posts:
More 'Elsie Anna Wood' Bible Art
A Gift Returned with Love.

Two Graham Kennedys?

There's a new series of children's Bible story books out! They were published last month by Christian Focus Publishing, written by Carine Mackenzie and illustrated by Graham Kennedy! No, it's not me! There's another Graham Kennedy!

The other Graham Kennedy's also an illustrator, and his dad also came from Ireland! And, strangely enough, he only lives about an hours drive from me in the historic city of Chester.
Graham and I also both freelanced in Manchester in the 80's, and we both have pictures of Clint Eastwood that we did many years ago displayed on the web! And to confuse people even more, Graham's now illustrated some Bible story books!

I just thought I'd clear that one up in case anyone's confused!
;0p

Healing of the Ten Lepers

Our latest Bible picture story is the 'Healing of the Ten Lepers'.
(Luke 17:11-19).
Bible artist William Hole suggests that this area of the Nazareth road has a background of low hills which I have also used.
Picture one shows the lepers calling out to Jesus. Only a few of the lepers are covering their mouths, which was a requirement of the law regarding lepers, (Lev 13). My thinking behind this is that these desperate lepers would not want their voices to be muffled by placing their outer robe across their mouths when calling out to Jesus. In Matt 12:11 the Lord Jesus showed that in many situations, when help was needed, the law of compassion overrules the written law.

Picture 2 (above) shows the Lord Jesus instructing the lepers to go and show themselves to the priest in order to verify the cure. When the priests verified the cure, the gift commanded by the law would be offered. The entire chapter of Lev 14 describes the intricate commands for the ceremonial cleansing of a healed leper.

Picture 3 shows the lepers walking away from Jesus and being healed!
Notice that they were healed only when they followed the command of Jesus, not before. And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. v14. Blessings follow obedience!
To find out more about the Samaritan leper, click on the 'Drawing a Samaritan leper' link below.

There are five pictures in this set which brings our total picture count to 720. This story will be added to the 'Bible picture website' shortly.

Related links:
Drawing a Samaritan Leper

'Bible illustration' lecture at HBU!

Dr John Hellstern of Houston Baptist University will be giving a lecture on 'Illustrated Bibles' to members of the International Society of Bible Collectors in October (9th-10th). Other speakers will be Dr Naseeb Shaheen, professor at the Univ.of Memphis and author of Biblical References in Shakespeare's Plays who will speak on 'Shakespeare's Bible.'  John's colleague, Dr Donald Brake, Dean of Multnomah Seminary in Portland, Oregon will speak on the 'Greek Texts used in Bible Translating.' 

During the lecture John will be using Diana Shimon and myself as "examples of 21st century Bible artists who are working full-time in Bible art." He said that he wants to let people know "that Bible art is alive and well in the 21st century!"  John will be teaching an extension course in the Fall and Spring on 'Bible illustrating' out of Houston Baptist University, and will be using our pictures in these two seminar-type courses. All interested parties are welcome to attend the lecture. Contact Dr John Hellstern for more details.

The newly opened Dunham Bible Museum based at HBU looks fascinating! The museum contains one of the largest collections of Bibles in the U.S. including papyrus pieces, through manuscripts and scrolls, to 15th century printed Bibles. The display also includes a working replica of the Gutenberg press used to print the very first Bible in the 1450's. To arrange a visit contact Dr Diana Severance.

The Ascension

Just finished the pictures for the 'Ascension' story today. The picture (left) is the last one in a set of four and illustrates the very last verse of Luke, where the disciples were "continually in the temple praising and blessing God." Luke 24:53.
Dr Leen Ritmeyer reminded me that this verse doesn't mean that the disciples were in the temple building itself as "entrance to this building was reserved for the priests alone. Most of the activities in which ordinary (purified) Jews could participate took place in the 'Court of the Women', aka the 'Treasury' of the Gospels."

In the picture you can see the worshipers stood in the Court of the Women. This name does not mean that the court was restricted to women only. It was called Court of the Women because this was the closest that women could come to the temple. A gallery around this court was built later to separate the men from the women.
On the 15 semi-circular steps leading up to the Nicanor Gate you can see the Levitical choir.
"On these steps the Levites used to sing the fifteen Psalms of Ascents, which are Psalms 120-134". (Source:The Quest, pg 354)
Beyond the giant bronze doors of the Nicanor gate was the 'Court of the Israelites', then the 'Court of the Priests', then came the 'Temple Court' which housed the Alter and the Laver, and finally 12 steps, (4 sets of 3), led up to the porch of the temple itself.

The huge bronze doors should really be open, but then I would have had to illustrate the elaborate 'Golden vine' that was around the entrance to the temple! (I'm saving that for a later picture).
The Levites costumes are based on ones that I've seen in Temple institute artwork. The priests stood next to the Nicanor gate should be slightly smaller in relation to the gate as these doors were really huge!

There are four pictures in the Ascension set which brings our total Bible picture count to 715. These pictures will be added to the Bible picture website shortly.

Related posts:
What did Herod's Temple look like?

What did Calvary look like?

The 'Between Two Worlds' blog is carrying a two part interview with Dr Leen Ritmeyer which is of interest to Bible illustrators.
The first interview asks the question "What Did Calvary Look Like?"
The second asks "What Did Jesus' Tomb Look Like?"
Both interviews are well worth the read and provide lots of interesting information. The superb illustration above is from the soon coming ESV Study Bible, which looks like it will be a great help to Bible artists!
Illustration © Crossway books 2008

Other 'Question' posts:
What did Herod's Temple look like?
What did the Passover Cup look like?
What do Angels look like?
What do Cherubs look like?

Fly-through Bible pictures!

I've just come across an interesting addition to the 'Look & Learn' website. Click here to go to their new 'Animations' section then select the '3D fly-throughs' option.

By far the best is the second one, which is titled "Christ walking on the Sea of Galilee' and based on the picture above. All these animations are done from flat original 'Look & Learn' artwork which presumably is then digitally separated into levels. I've been wanting to try something like this with our Bible pictures, except I would like to take it a step further by combining this technique with our 3D Bible pictures! That would give you a fly-through animatic that you could watch with 3D glasses! Wow!

Because our Bible pictures are already in separate digital layers, in theory, it should be relatively easy to do! Shouldn't it?
Look & Learn offer this '3D fly-through' technique on most of the pictures in their vast picture library. All the superb pictures in their library are also available for commercial licensing.
Picture © Look & Learn Magazine Ltd 2008

Related links:
Look & Learn
The Bible Story

The Temptation of Christ

Just finished illustrating the 'Temptation of Christ' Bible story. There are five pictures in this set which brings our total Bible picture count to 711.

Pictured above is one of the wilderness backgrounds that I've used in this story, (in black and white, and color). This mountain range took me a whole day to draw in brush and ink! The image looks a lot softer in digital color.
Bible artist William Hole shows the temptation taking place on a snow-capped mountain, presumably Mt Hermon. He also depicts Satan as a naked man with transparent wings.

I decided to 'play it safe' when depicting Satan. I didn't want to stray too far from the Biblical texts. I did take the liberty of clothing Satan in a black robe which served the purposes of hiding both the bodily form and facial features. This also alludes to the darkness of Satan.
We know that Satan was a fallen angel. What type of angel is still debated. There is one thing however that all angelic beings seem to have in common, (which I've also included in the pictures), and that is hands! We find that Angels have hands from Revelation 8:4. Cherubim have hands in Ezekiel 10:7-8, and Seraphim have hands in Isaiah 6:6.
I've avoided wings as although we know that Seraphim had six, and Cherubim four, in most descriptions of angels, wings are not mentioned. Many artists who have shown Satan to have wings have illustrated bat wings as opposed to bird wings, which I suppose looks more sinister!

Part of picture 3, which shows The Lord Jesus and Satan on the roof of the Temple, can be seen here. It would have been difficult to show Jesus standing on the very edge of the Temple roof looking down, (although this would have been more dramatic), due to the anti-bird spikes around the perimeter of the Temple roof! See the What did Herod's Temple look like? post.

Picture 4, which shows Satan offering the Lord Jesus the Kingdoms of this world and their glory, (Matt 4:8), can be seen here.
Bible illustration blog reader 'Greg Owen' has done an impressive 'Graphic novel' version of the Temptation story which can be seen here. Greg used his wife as a model for Satan! (Brave man!) More of Greg's work here.
Your comments are always appreciated!

Related posts:
Drawing the Devil
Drawing Angels
Drawing Cherubs

What did the 'Passover Cup' look like?

I had an email this morning from a pastor in Virginia asking if I knew what an ancient 'Passover' cup might have looked like?
I haven't illustrated the 'Lords Supper' as yet, so I've not done any research along these lines.

I know that Passover cups of today are fairly ornate like the one pictured, but did they have special cups that were kept just for the Passover meal in the first century, or would the Lord Jesus have used a normal pot, limestone or wooden cup supplied by the owner of the upper room?
I thought I might throw this question open to our regular readers, Bible artists and of course our resident researchers!

I was tempted to call this post 'The Quest for the Holy Grail' but I resisted!
Photo © www.judaica-mall.com

Update 20 July 08:
Dr Leen Ritmeyer kindly emailed me last night with an answer to the above question. He also sent one of his very helpful pictures to illustrate the point.

One of the subjects discussed in our book "The Ritual of the Temple in the time of Christ" is the passover cup, or rather cups, for 4 cups were, and still are, used in the Passover ritual. Here is a passage of our six-page treatment of Passover: "The four cups of wine stipulated in Pesachim 10.1 (an ancient Jewish tract on Passover) as obligatory to be drunk during the feast symbolize four expressions of redemption used in the words of God to Israel in Exodus 6.6-7: "I will bring you out", "I will rid you out of their bondage", "I will redeem you" and "I will take you to me".

The cups were made of ordinary pottery - no holy grail, as you can see! Here is my illustration (above) of the 4 cups, which is based on actual cups that have been excavated.

Recently we attended a Passover ceremony at the Rabbi of Adelaide's house in Australia and indeed four cups of wine were drunk.

If you would read the Passover account in Luke chapter 22, you will see that two cups are mentioned, one in vs. 17 and one in vs. 20, while vs. 18 indicates that he did not drink the fourth or last cup, for "the Fruit of the Vine" was the collective name for all four cups.
© Ritmeyer.com
Thanks Leen! There's also a short video that can be viewed here that backs up Dr Ritmeyer's comments.


Other 'Question' posts:
What did Jesus look like?
What did Herod's Temple look like?
What do Angels look like?
What do Cherubs look like?

The lost Coin

I'm back onto the Bible stories at last! Our latest powerpoint is the 'Parable of the lost coin'. I've based the lady on the actress Olivia Hussey who played the part of Mary in the 'Jesus of Nazareth' film.

I drew the coins in picture one (right) from a photo I have of some first century silver coins.
In picture two, the young lady has lit an oil lamp and is reaching out for a broom in order to sweep the floor of her house in search of the lost coin. Although it's daylight, the rooms are still dark due to the small windows in the houses at this time. See the 'Houses in Bible times' post.
There are four pictures in this story which brings our total Bible picture count to 706.

Posts on a selection of other Bible stories:

Blind Bartimaeus

The Rich Young Rular

Zacchaeus

Crucifixion part 1

Crucifixion part 2

On the road to Emmaus

The Nativity

Raising Lazarus

Woman taken in Adultery

Feeding the 5,000

The Ten Commandments

Have you ever wondered why the Ten Commandments are always shown to be on single, or double-arch topped stone tablets? If you check out the Ten commandments on 'Google images' almost all of the images show a double-arched top stone! You can Buy a 'Ten commandments' silver pendant with a double-arched top , or even a double arched top (life-size) resin garden ornament of the Ten commandments! So how did we arrive at this shape? Where did it originate? Is it authentic? You might be tempted to blame Cecil B. DeMille for starting it all in the 1956 Biblical epic 'The Ten Commandments' starring Charlton Heston, but it goes back a lot further.

O.k. then, what about Gustave Doré? Was he responsible? Well, he also showed the Ten Commandments to be on a double-arched top stone tablet in his 1865 engraving, but the shape goes back even further than Gustave Doré. In fact, 350 years earlier!






This is the earliest picture I came across (see left) showing the double-arched top stone tablet.
This picture dates back to 1512. (Sorry I don't know the artist!) You can clearly see the hand of God handing Moses the 'double-arched top' stone tablet. This image is taking us back into the realms of Christian Iconography, and I still can't find any clues as to why this shape was used-!!

What I would like to do though is suggest another shape that the tablets might have been! Square!
I was reminded when reading 'The Quest' of the significance of the square in the Bible . Many of the items that God designed were square. The 'Holy of Holies' in the Temple was square, The 'high priest's breastplate' was square, the 'alter of burnt offerings' was square, as was the 'alter of incense'. The end elevation of the 'Ark of the covenant' (which contained the stone tablets) was square, and the "Great City, the Holy Jerusalem" spoken of in Revelation is square! With this in mind, and the fact that the first tablets were written by God, isn't it feasible that the tablets might have been square in shape?

Of course, we won't know the shape of the tablets containing the Ten commandments until they find the Ark of the covenant. But, it's an interesting theory! Let me know your thoughts! Photo © NEAEHL

Update: 17 July 08
Just found out that the Talmud does record that the 'Ten commandment tablets' are in fact Square! (Amazing!) See the comments for more information on this.

Related posts:
The contents of the Ark

'The Quest'

I've just finished reading Dr Leen Ritmeyers excellent book 'The Quest' which is a study of the archaeology of the Temple Mount. This is a terrific book and I would highly recommend it to Bible artists. It's packed with visual information. Diagrams, photos, illustrations, etchings, maps and some superb artwork done by Jewish artists for the Temple Institute which show many of the Temple rituals in detail.

There's too much in the book to cover here, so I'll just touch on a couple of subjects to 'whet your appetite!'
The positioning of the Ark
Dr Ritmeyer has uncovered what appears to be very strong evidence pointing to the actual positioning of the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies (Debir).
This is a fascinating section of the book which indicates that the Ark would have been seen 'end on' when entering the Holy of Holies via the veil. Not 'side on' as most artists, (including myself), have drawn up until now. It you want to know more, you'll have to get the book!


Golden Spikes!
The Quest also deals with the Temple itself and is packed with information regarding it's construction and the many activities that took place there.
Did you know, for instance, what the golden spikes that edged the temple roof were for? To answer this Ritmeyer quotes the Jewish historian Josephus who saw Herod's Temple with his own eyes:
"from its (the Temple's) summit protruded sharp golden spikes to prevent birds from settling and polluting the roof,"

The Quest also touches on some of the interesting topics that we've discussed on this blog such as "What might the Cherubim have looked like?" Josephus said, "As for the cherubim themselves, no one can say or imagine what they looked like."
Despite this, 'The Quest' has some nice photos of a small scale model showing the giant cherubim that overshadowed the Ark in Solomon's Temple. (Not to be confused with the cherubim on the Ark itself).

My conclusion? Some might find the archeological details heavy going in parts, but I enjoyed it and would recommend it as a very useful tool for Bible artists.

Copies of The Quest are obtainable either directly from the author or from the publisher. There are other interesting titles by the same author, (and his wife), available from the Carta bookstore.

Related posts:

Guest Bible Artist #4

What did Herod's Temple look like?

Houses in Bible times

'The Prophets'

I've just received today a complimentary signed copy of 'The Prophets' from Diana Shimon in Israel. This is Volume 3 of 'The Testimony' which when completed will be an entire Children's Bible in Hebrew. 'The Prophets' covers all fifteen of the Old Testament prophets from Isaiah to Malachi, and is published by, and available from, HaGefen Publishing in Israel.

This is a truly beautiful book which contains over 150 of Diana's superb illustrations. This is the first Hebrew book that I've owned and although I know that Hebrew is written from right to left, it still takes you by surprise to see the front cover on the back of the book and the back cover on the front! (if you know what I mean).
The illustrations are amazingly detailed and historically accurate. Diana has spent a lot of time researching her subject, and it shows! She has done much research into plants, trees, clothing, (civilian and military), architecture, animals, customs etc, etc, and all painted in such detail!


Volumes 1 and 2 are pictured right and together with Volume 3 complete the Old Testament. Diane asks for prayer as they continue to work on Volume 4. I'm looking forward to seeing that one too. Many thanks Diana!

Related posts:
Guest Bible Artist #3

V.I.R. News Update #2

Visual Impact Resources
My apologies for not updating the blog recently. I've been busy finishing off the pictures for the 'Life of Jesus' Bible Exhibition stands. I'm pleased to say that all 141 pictures are now complete! I finished the last picture today! (The picture above shows one of the six exhibition stands).
The exhibition will initially tour schools in the U.K. and Germany. We have also just received a request from the Metropolitan Mission for an exhibition in India too. If you would like to help out in this valuable work, or you would like to request an exhibition, contact Jem Hudson.

Now the exhibition is finished, I can get back to producing Bible picture powerpoints for the Bible Picture Website.

Camp and Training Centre update
If you're a regular visitor to Jem Hudson's blog you'll know all about the proposed Camp and Training Centre. Planning permission for the development was given the go ahead last month by South Derbyshire District Council.
Jem, his wife Sue and the boys have now sold their house and moved into a caravan on the 10 acre site. The centre, when finished, will cater for 60 people plus leaders and will have outdoor activities which will include football pitches, water sports, climbing walls etc, as well as woodland walks. There's also a cafe and bookshop planned. The site is not too far from the famous Sherwood Forrest!  
For more information and updates on the Camp progress visit Jem's blog.

Blog update
Readers of the Bible illustration blog continue to grow in number, (mostly from North America). The month of May saw our weekly number of visitors passing the 1,000 mark for the first time! Thank you again to all the regular readers and contributors. Although I've not posted for a couple of weeks I have been busy in the background, and there are some interesting things in the pipeline for the blog. Watch this space!

C.E.F.
Some of you C.E.F. leaders have been eagerly awaiting the outcome of our discussions with C.E.F since the last update. Sadly, C.E.F. Europe decided not to use our Bible pictures in the end which is a shame as I was looking forward to working with them. Maybe if you all complain to head office, they'll change their mind! ;0)

I've just realized that it's almost exactly one year since the last 'V.I.R. News Update!' Where does the time go?

Related links:
V.I.R. News Update #1

More Biblical costume photos!

Yesterday, I found out that our new artist Graeme has friends in high places! It turns out that Graeme's brother is married to a young lady from Nazareth whose uncle is on the board of the Nazareth Village Project! George Khalil is not only on the board, he is also a carpenter in the village itself, and uses carpentry methods from the times of Jesus! Please spare a minute to visit George's website Yesholyland.com where you can purchase beautiful gifts from the Holy Land. George also works as administrator of Emmaus Bible School, who I illustrated a book for about 16 years ago!

I emailed George yesterday, and he very kindly sent me some superb photo's from the Nazareth Village to be displayed on BibleArtist.com. Please take a look.

My thanks again to George Khalil, and to Graeme for putting us in contact!
Photo: © George Khalil 2008

Related links:

Nazareth village gift shop

Christmas cards!

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