Comments on: What’s wrong with this image?

By: Steve Evans

Steve Evans — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ronan, I take comfort in the well-worn tale that Friberg attributed physical strength as a reflection and symbol of their spiritual stature. That said, it’s still a little weird.

By: Ronan

Ronan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Yeah, it's symbolic. No problem with that. But many of us conflate symbols with reality. In this case, as I said, it doesn't matter much. But when, say, we make Jesus look just like us it can either make him more familiar (a good thing), or make us (WASM's that is) feel more superior (a bad thing, IMO). But, not something to lose sleep about.

By: Steve Evans

Steve Evans — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Depictions of the Saviour are also particularly problematic, because they can directly affect our worship and our relationship with God. When we pray, do we think of a husky Viking-esque Jesus, or a wan, Byzantine one? Does our Heavenly Father in fact have a beard? It seems to me the question is not without relevance, because we have living prophets who talk with God and who have seen Him (at least past prophets have openly said so). So the idea of what He looks like is something we can really claim to answer definitively.

The advantage of a Catholic/Christian notion of God is that He is without body, parts or passions, and so artists have far greater interpretive freedom! Of course they don’t properly understand their Creator, but still…

By: Ann

Ann — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

My main concern is that some of these iconic images tell a false story.

By: Julie in Austin

Julie in Austin — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ann–

All images tell a false story. It’s almost easier for me to use something like this picture, which is practically a caricature, to explain to my children how artists are just giving their impression and they may not have all the details correct, as opposed to something more “accurate.”

Another thing I have found useful with the wee ones is to check out every single picture book about Noah from the library and discuss with them which things each author treats differently.

By: ed

ed — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

“I also doubt Adam was a WASM, but that’s another story.”

I’d like to hear the story.

By: Rusty

Rusty — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

My main concern is that Del Parson recycles his Jesus face into new paintings.

By: Ronan

Ronan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

we have living prophets who talk with God and who have seen Him

…but who have, as far as I am aware, declined to offer a thorough description, other than “glorious beyond measure” etc. Some things, I think, cannot be captured in art, which is why I personally am not a big fan of pictures of God the Father. They remind me of Zeus and Mount Olympus.

By: Ronan

Ronan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ed,
Not today, mate. Not today. I’ll get into trouble.

By: J. Stapley

J. Stapley — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I remember the first 13th century Cathedral I visited. Artists throughout the centuries had adorned its interior. One huge paneled depiction of the entire life of the Lord stood out. It was all Elizabethan. John the Baptist had a tutu around his neck and Jesus had tights. It was at that moment that I realized that we are just playing our part in the long tradition. Subsequently, I don’t particularly mind images of black or oriental Jesus. Is it any different than “MASM” (as Ronan states) Jesus?