Thursday, May 24, 2007

Helene Schjerfbeck


People who don't want to read religious ruminations can skip this post.

This morning I read an announcement about a second Finnish artist next to Akseli Gallen whom I discussed earlier in my blog. She is, like Akseli, from the time of the favorite statues of our co-blogger Robert (see sidebar). Her painting as I saw them reproduced in the newspaper (see picture above), penetrated directly into my soul. The woman lived from 1862-1946 and was constantly ill. I don't give a website here, please use Google for many sites in which she is featuring. The newspaper announced an exhibition of her work in The Hague, Municipal Museum, and I regretted that I had purchased a boat but such exhibitions are mostly during a couple of months so I will get an opportunity; The Hague is two and a half hours driving and that's long in our country.


Special attention was paid to the painting presented in the picture above (a scan from the newspaper, for I found no representations of it on the Internet. Your eye is immediately attracted by a black door in a monastery-like environment. Why? Because of the light behind the door. And I had to think of both Jesus and Death. Jesus, who said: I am the Door. Death which is terrifying for people, mostly accompanied by heavy suffering and pain, black is its color. But behind it the Light is shining. And I had to think of the suffering of the artist who was ill while painting this piece. Jesus wasn't only the Door, but went through such door Himself, as an example for us.

2 comments:

Evie said...

That is a compelling image. So simple, yet so mysterious. Does it evoke hope or despair? Perhaps one's answer to that question provides a glimpse into one's soul.

Stephen said...

This is a powerful image. When I see that door, I am reminded that in life, we often can't see past the challenges of life. It is during those times in our humanity, with it's pain and disappointment when it appears desperate and even hopeless. The door of life seems inpentetrable. Yet somehow some light manages to slip through. We catch a glimpse that life is much more than what is apparent. Faith seeps into our soul. God has something else for us - a promise of a tomorrow filled with the mystery of his amazing possibilities.