Monday 27 February 2023

Passion Optical Illusions

Artists have a clever way in creating scenes so as to give a hidden meaning to what they are actually painting. These two paintings are worth reflecting on. The first one shows the face of Jesus framed by various scenes from his life. Starting from his chin and going anti-clockwise, you can see the Nativity, the angel announcing the good news to the shepherds, the calling of the apostles, praying in the desert, the multiplication of the loaves and the fish, praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, carrying the cross, being crucified, the Pieta, and the empty tomb.

The second painting shows the disciples carrying the dead body of Jesus to place it on his mother’s lap, with mournful people looking on from the sides and in the back, including Joseph of Arimathea who lent his tomb, and Nicodemus with the ladder. The crosses are seen in the back on a hill, while the dead body of Jesus is seen twisted with the dead weight. Now if you walk back at least 3 to 4 feet, you will see the face of Jesus formed by all these people, a clever optical  illusion.

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