Posted on 07/01/2015 8:52:19 AM PDT by Salvation
He appears rather angry so I guess it is fitting.
What a novel idea!
Did you cover the left eye and look at half the face?
He looks different, huh?
Now cover the right eye — and you see the “angry” or determined look.
Monsignor Pope Ping!
I don’t have a problem with the concept or the symbolism, but I don’t like the picture.
He’s facing the general direction of the Supreme Court building. It’s entirely fitting.
This image of Jesus is similar to that in St. Savior of Chora in Istanbul, where He is described as “strong, wise, impatient; a dispenser of justice, not a sufferer of injustice.”
Religious art today is schlock, including this.
When I was looking at the two sides of the face I thought of the quote I heard somewhere.
“While we are alive Christ is perfect mercy.” (Smiling eye side)
“At the moment of our death Christ is perfect justice.” (Determining eye side or I might call it the judgmental eye that can see all things.)
The artist might have had something like that in mind.
“Stern.”
It is a must. Having completed His work of perfection, all who refused... well it won’t look pretty. But they ultimately did it to themselves. Go running headlong into a brick wall... don’t blame the brick wall.
Do we have a command in the scriptures somewhere, thou shalt not do something schlocking? :-)
I'm with you on this. The symbolism is all fine, as Msgr. Pope argues. But I don't think the look of the face and some of the colors are sufficiently traditional. (The red robe, for instance, seems like the wrong color red.) It's based on Byzantine icons, but it doesn't much look like one to me.
That said, Christ in Judgment certainly seems suitable for a Basilica in D.C. at the present time.
At any time.
The closer you get to the mosaic, the less severe He appears.
Now there's a passage I could get behind!
The interesting question to me is; Why is all religious art today terrible? It can't be lack of money. Does the subject no longer inspire? You could argue that art for the masses is alway bad. But then why do we still flock to the Pieta?
This dude looks like he's late for a meeting of the Justice League.
When depicting Jesus in modern works intended for a wide audience there is a motive to not try to look Leonardo Da Vinci real. Because you are going to get endless debate over things like was He white, was He black, was He swarthy, etc.
So wise artists in this situation retreat into stylization.
Those who hate it say that He looks angry, and many also don’t care for the Roman toga, and bare shoulder and right chest. To others, who prefer more “inclusive” depictions of Christ, His blond hair, blue eyes, and exceptionally white skin make him seem too European.
Those who love the image say they like the fact that Christ is presented as strong and formidable. For them, this image is a relief from many other modern portraits of Christ, which present Him as a thin, willow-wisp of a man with an often weak look upon His face. But the Christ in majesty of the Basilica is someone who is to be taken seriously and to whom we must render an account.
My own thoughts have shifted over the years. As a younger man, I disliked this work. But over the years and after thoroughly studying the Scriptures, I have come to greatly admire this image of Christ. I often go to the Basilica, and when I do I always stand in the nave and look to Him for strength. I am often filled with joy and holy reverence as I gaze upon His towering strength and sublime majesty. He is a strong and manly Christ who speaks to me. He does not look angry to me. Rather, He seems to be saying, “Have confidence. I have overcome the world.”
With his blond hair and germanic features, this Jesus resembles Jeffrey Hunter's portrayal in the 1957 movie King of Kings. I can appreciate the mosaic's intent - this isn't "Baby Jesus Meek and Mild" or "willow-wispy", and IMO we shouldn't imagine Him as such.
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