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A Celebration of God's Grace
A commandment is to the Torah what a lamp is to the sun.
--Midrash
Psalms, 17:7
Saints and Seasons A page for spiritual and liturgical meditation |
| Pentecost (June 12, 2011) |
| All artists who portray religious themes make theological statements by what they choose to portray, what they opt to omit, and the language they use for their creation. In the case of Pentecost, all the works offered here for reflection make the New Testament scene contemporary to themselves. And so it is for every generation of believers who reflect on how the Holy Spirit transforms and empowers lives. The artists place the scene in the architecture and clothing of their own age. Many of them follow the non-Biblical tradition of including the Virgin Mary and other Holy Women in their depiction. For some, the Descent of the Dove is portrayed without tongues of fire: |
| Oil on canvas (1618-1620) by Sir Anthony van Dyke Fresco in Cappella Spagnuolo, Santa Maria Novella, Florence (1365-1368) by Andrea da Firenze  |
| Others use the symbol of the tongues of fire without the dove: |
| Champlevé enamel on copper gilt (1150-1160) by an unknown French goldsmith Oil on canvas (1732) by Jean Restout II Fresco in Cappella Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), Padua (1290s) by Giotto di Bondone Tempera on wood (1308-1311) by Duccio di Buoninsegna |
| Both tongues and dove are used by many, sometimes with the flames emanating from the dove: |
| The Pentecost (1596-1600) - Painting by El Greco Pentecost (1782) – Painting by István Dorffmaister Painting on walnut (1335-1340) by Taddeo Gaddi Egg tempera on poplar (1320-1325) by Giotto da Bondone Oil on canvas (1750s) by Joseph Ignatz Mildorfer Panel (1437) by Hans Multcher Oil on canvas (c. 1545) by Vecellio Tiziano Panel (c. 1500?) by Juan de Flandes |
| I like to consider the representations of like media as nearly side by side as possible, so I offer two illuminations on parchment by unknown 12th-century French miniaturists for reflection: |
| one from the Ingeborg Psalter and one from the Sacramentary of Saint-Étienne in Limoges |
| Likewise and finally, I offer two icons. The Russian one is for the Synaxis of All Saints which the Byzantine church celebrates the Sunday after Pentecost. In this icon, the tongues of fire fall on apostles, saints, and martyrs alike, thereby broadening the concept of Pentecost from an event to a recurring event in believers' lives over the centuries. The robes on some of the saints are liturgical robes that broaden the time frame, also. The Greek icon is for the formerly united Ascension-Pentecost-Trinity commemoration. It depicts the gathering in Upper Room in Jerusalem following the ascension where Jesus' followers waited for the Lord's return. They are shown with tongues of fire alighting on them. |
| Tempera and gold leaf on wood and linen Icon (early 17th century) by an unknown Russian master Greek Orthodox icon commemorating Pentecost-Trinity |