Campus CrossWalk Magazine: 2007 Summer Issue -- Grace and Truth on Canvas

The Bible is not only inspired, it is inspiring! One of my favorite places as a child was on my dad’s knee listening to Bible stories. His voice was mesmerizing and the pictures transported me to Bible times. I learned early to love Bible art. And the Bible has inspired more great art than any book ever. The following drawing is an example of Bible-inspired art by the author (your humble editor):

Let Me Die with the Philistines!,
(Samson's final act, see Judges 16:29-30),
by Joel Mark Solliday, editor of Campus CrossWalk.

: Designer's Note: Since we need to be careful about respecting the copyrights of the images linked below, Joel sent me the above work of his own, to illustrate what is available in forms of Bible art. The image above is a very low resolution reduction of Joel's piece, which I personally regard as comparable to the works of Gustave Doré, (French, 1832-1883). Joel, thanks for sharing it with us, Brian

This could be the most breath-taking web-museum tour you’ve ever had! You can peruse the list below at your own pace. You may not agree with my selections, but if you explore the provided internet links, you will be inspired. Do your own searches and let me know what I missed!

In 1976, I graduated from Pepperdine University with a double major: art and religion (both lifelong passions). The list below emerges out of a rich admiration for great art and a deep love for the Bible. My selections range from a vast spectrum of styles and periods, from the Renaissance to today.

The second half of the 19th century dominates my list. Then, the old dramatic idealist visions of Bible art began to yield to a more earthy naturalism. The halos began to disappear and Christ showed up on canvas in a more human light--more accessible. He was still a Savior, but one whose sorrows and struggles tended to reflect our own. Also, a new passion for accuracy over drama revolutionized the art world. You may detect my bias for the more Protestant portrayals of the northern Baroque and the later Naturalist and Impressionist eras in the Netherlands, Russia, Great Britain and America. But for you traditionalists, the Italians and the French are not left out. Enjoy!

(links below will open a new window)

1. Samson (and Delilah), 1887, Solomon Joseph Solomon (English, 1860-1927) Oil on canvas, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. See Judges 16. Samson is under intense assault by Philistines as the delighted, vindictive Delilah taunts him with his severed hair in her hand.

liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/collections/landing/samson.asp

2. Lamentation Over the Death of the First Born of Egypt, 1877. Charles Sprague Pearce (American, 1851-1914). National Museum of American Art, Washington DC. A critic described this work as “a picture one will not forget.” I saw it over twenty years ago and I still remember the museum, the room, the painting and how deeply it moved me.

classicartrepro.com/artistsc.iml?painting=6127

3. Christ and Woman Taken in Adultery. 1887, Vasily Polenov (Russian, 1844-1927). The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia. See John 8:2-11. The Pharisees were setting a clever rap for Jesus. It didn’t work. When Jesus told those without sin to “cast the first stone,” one by one, the woman's accusers slipped away and Jesus told her to “go and sin no more.”

abcgallery.com/P/polenov/polenov31.html

4. Daniel in the Lion’s Den, 1896, Henry Ossawa Tanner (American, 1859-1937). Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Tanner once wrote: “My effort has been not only to put the Biblical incident in the original setting… but at the same time give the human touch which makes the whole world kin, [and] to convey to my public the reverence and elevation these subjects impart to me." The son of a minister, Tanner allegedly told his father, “you preach from the pulpit and I will preach with my brush.”

collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=erecord&hilite=107539&id=12792&type=1

: To see other Tanner works, visit:

5. Christ in the Storm on the Lake of Galilee, 1633. Rembrandt van Rijn (Netherlands, 1606-69). Oil on canvas, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston. Jesus is waking up in the back of the boat during a fierce storm.

abcgallery.com/R/rembrandt/rembrandt99.html

6. Christ at the Home of Martha and Mary, 1886, Henryk Siemiradzki (Russian, 1843-1902). Oil on canvas, 191 x 303 cm. Mary listens at Jesus’ feet as Martha Garden carries a water jar in a garden. Awesome olive trees; so authentic.

vhok.nl/Expo/art&religion/home.htm

7. The Raising of Jairus’ Daughter, 1871, Ilya Efimovich Repin (Russian, 1844-1930). Oil on canvas, Russian Museum, St. Petersburg. See Mark 5:21-24, 35-43. “As in life” well expresses the quality of Repin’s realism. He was inspired by history and literature, and his work often took on epic proportions. A reflective Jesus is about to act. This won the gold medal of a major academy competition.

abcgallery.com/R/repin/repin70.html

8. The Holy Family, c. 1909-1910, Henry Ossawa Tanner (American, 1859-1937). Muskegon Museum of Art. Tanner’s treatment of light is exceptional. He spotlights Mary, with Joseph standing by in admiration.

muskegonartmuseum.org/permanent005.htm

9. The Crucifixion, 1894-1904, Jan Styka (Polish, 1858-1925), Forest Lawn, Glendale, CA. The largest framed mounted to canvas painting in the world (195' long by 45' high). Seeing this became an unforgettable childhood memory.

forestlawn.com/visitors_guide/memorial_parks
/glendale/hocr_crucifixion.asp

10. The Sistine Chapel, 1511-12, Michelangelo (Italian, 1475-1564). Vatican, Rome. A spectacular achievement. His “Creation of Man” fragment (on the ceiling) is among the most recognizable images in the Western mind.

christusrex.org/www1/sistine/4-Genesis.html

11. The Raising of Jairus' Daughter. 1871. Vasily Polenov (Russian, 1844-1927). Oil on canvas. The Museum of the Academy of Arts, St. Petersburg, Russia. See Mark 5. Painted the same year as Repin’s work (above), both keep Christ central in the composition. Polenov applies richer colors and captures Jesus more in a more active stance, calling the girl to rise up!

abcgallery.com/P/polenov/polenov48.html

12. The Lake of Gennesaret, 1888 Vasiliy Polenov (1844-1927) Oil on Canvas, 79 x 158 cm The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia. This transports you to the Sea of Galilee.

russianartgallery.org/famous/lake.htm

13. The Adulteress, 1873, Henryk Siemiradzki (Russian, 1843-1902). Oil on canvas, 250 x 499 cm.

vhok.nl/Expo/art&religion/Objecten/58/ob.htm

: To search other Russian works, visit:

14. The Raising of Lazarus. c. 1630-31. Rembrandt van Rijn (Netherlands, 1606-69). Oil on panel. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, CA. See John 11:1-44. The message of Christ’s power over death comes through.

abcgallery.com/R/rembrandt/rembrandt110.html

15. The Finding of Moses, 1904, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tatema (British, 1836-1912). A popular Victorian painter, Alma-Tatema specialized in Greek and Roman subjects. This Bible-based scene involved great research and was the only painting he completed in 1904.

fulcrumgallery.com/print_86337.aspx

16. Job and His Friends. 1869, Ilya Efimovich Repin (Russian, 1844-1930). Oil on canvas. The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar sat in silence with Job seven days and nights sympathizing with his miserable fate.

abcgallery.com/R/repin/repin2.html

17. The Last Supper, 1498, Leonardo da Vinci (Italian, 1452-1519). Tempera on plaster. Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie (Refectory), Milan. More ink has spilled describing this classic than perhaps any other painting. And that’s John, not Mary Magdalene, sitting next to Jesus.

artchive.com/artchive/L/leonardo/lastsupp.jpg.html

18. The Resurrection of Lazarus, 1896, Henry Ossawa Tanner (American, 1859-1937). Musee de Orsay. After seeing this painting, a patron sent Tanner on two artistic pilgrimages to Egypt and Palestine, taken in 1897 and 1898.

19thc-artworldwide.org/autumn_04/articles/brad.shtml

19. Christ's Feet Are Washed (1920s). Dean Cornwell (American, 1892-1960). A muralist, Cornwell adds vibrant colors and design qualities to this subject.

americanartarchives.com/bible_art.htm

20. The Divine Healer (father presenting sick son to Jesus for healing), 1948, Harry Anderson (USA, 1906-1996). This was one of the unforgettable Bible story illustrations that inspired me as a small child on my father’s knee.

americanartarchives.com/anderson,harry.htm

21. Saint Peter Preaching the Gospel in the Catacombs, 1902, by Jan Styka (Polish, 1858-1925). Breathtaking use of underground light.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Styka

22. The Blinding of Samson, 1636, Rembrandt van Rijn (Netherlands, 1606-69). Stadel Institute, Frankfurt. Portrays the gruesome and violent climax of the story (from Judges 16). The treacherous Delilah retreats with a look of terror and triumph. Two links:

23. Christ with Joseph in the Carpenter‘s Shop, 1640, George de La Tour (French, 1593-1652), Louvre, Paris.

students.sbc.edu/vandergriff04/georgesdelatour.html

24. Baptism of Jesus Christ, 1886-1894. James Jacques Joseph Tissot (French, 1836-1902). Watercolor. Brooklyn Museum of Art.

19thc-artworldwide.org/autumn_04/articles/brad_print.html

25. Golgotha, 1895, Jan Styka (Polish, 1858-1925), oil on canvas. Warsaw, Adam Mickiewicz Museum of Literature.

culture.pl/en/culture/artykuly/wy_wy_wielki
_tydzien_literatury_warszawa

Joel Mark Solliday, B.A., M.Div., is the editor of Campus CrossWalk and the pulpit minister of the Northern Light Church of Christ in Minnesota. He earned his M.Div. at Fuller Theological Seminary and has worked at Pepperdine and ACU. His lovely wife Katie is a junior high school teacher.