Melted Wings' Wax

It was either Grunewald or Altdorfer, but I think I'll save the latter for some other time.



- Grunewald

To see a larger version of the painting click here

Part of his Isenheim Altarpiece, this scene of the Resurrection is probably my favorite of all. The altarpiece is definitely thought of as Grunewald's greatest work, so it's a sentiment I can agree with. I also really enjoy the scene at the cross, but that one is certainly a bit less cheerful. Altarpieces are made to typically display two different forms, shaped almost like a cupboard. A scene will be painted on the front (In this case the Crucifixion of Christ), and this scene will swing open to reveal another inside. This altarpiece is a little different, since the scene inside is not just one scene. It is a tribute to Jesus' life, from the annunciation which Mary received up to his Resurrection. On top of that, this scene then opens up again, to show Him sitting on His throne.

I only solely at the Resurrection scene today because it is by far my favorite. There is something certainly so other about this rendition of Jesus that I think it is a fantastic depiction. Every other human figure in the image is on the ground in a lump, having fallen in awkward positions. These people have almost a messy quality to them, as does the ground around them, as well as the blurred background. In this painting your eyes are continually drawn to only Him, as He is the only one that matters in the painting.

The highlight. The focus. The victor.

~ Rembrandt

To see a truly humongous version of the painting click here

I really love Rembrandt's paintings, although many of my favorites are his lesser works and sketches. He constantly does a fantastic job at putting layers upon layers of imagery inside of his paintings. I thought it was appropriate, after the great teaching on forgiveness, to look at one of my favorite paintings - The Return of the Prodigal Son. It has always done a fantastic job of bringing the message home for me. With the newly returned son at his father's feet and family looking on - weary but reverent, the scene has a sting to it . . . but the mercy that is present simply blows me away.

The father in the painting does a great job of metaphorically representing God. He is old and wise with his age, and it is evident that he has a passion and love for his son. His son would have rather had his father dead, yet here is that father showing him a great deal of love and compassion. The son is back because he is at the end of his rope. His head is shaved in slave fashion, his clothes tattered and dirty, and his sandals worn and spent, with one having fallen off of his foot and the other almost completely broken. He does not look up at his father, but instead, gaze is not up into the father’s eyes but instead to the side, in shame and sadness.

One of the smaller details which is easy to miss is the father's hands. The father's left hand grasps his son's shoulder with a definite strength, with fingers spread. Rembrandt manages to show him not only touching his son in embrace, but holding him as well. The right hand is much more tenderly posed, with an elegance lost to the firmness in its counterpart. It instead rests on the shoulder as if mid-stroke, ready to offer the comfort only a parent can provide. He is both firmly holding and gently caressing at the same time.

I also like the fact that it does not really seem like this story has come to a close in the painting. I do not think that the son has had some wonderful awakening and changed all of his ways. Yet one look at the father shows that his mercy and love for his children is unending, and that forgiveness is always there. There is a mercy that will always restore.