*notice...the changes in lighting emphasis, Abraham's facial expressions, the posture of the angel, and the violence of the scene. interpretation at it's finest.
01 September 2008
(AKEDAH) עקידת יצחק
In studying the Akedah (or "binding") story of Genesis 22, we were led to two paintings (one painting and one etching) by Rembrandt. Both depict the story of Mount Moriah. They differ greatly. From what I can tell the first one was painted much earlier; it is violent and intense. It shows the passion and emotion that occurred. The etching was apparently done much later. Rembrandt drew from his personal experience of losing children and being left at that point with but one son. The second piece portrays the emotion and intensity in a much different light. The tenderness of Abraham overwhelms the obedient rage shown in the first one. Both images are important and Rembrandt illustrates with tact and tremendous skill one of the hardest passages to comprehend in the Old Testament. These pieces are to be meditated on, with Gen 22 open next to your laptop and an available heart.
*notice...the changes in lighting emphasis, Abraham's facial expressions, the posture of the angel, and the violence of the scene. interpretation at it's finest.
*notice...the changes in lighting emphasis, Abraham's facial expressions, the posture of the angel, and the violence of the scene. interpretation at it's finest.
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1 comment:
mant hat akedah (sp) art is neat dude. The manhandling of Issac (hand over face, neck exposed and vulnerable, ready to be sliced) is striking. I mean Abraham was going to just slaughter him, not kill him humanely. Geeze...wow. Powerful example of Abrahams devotion above everything to the Father...and the grace of that Father to another...thankfully God did not choose to spare His own Son, so we might be near to him. mmmmmmm, dang.
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