Olive Trees by Vincent van Gogh
How could an artist paint an
olive garden without including Jesus?
For Vincent van Gogh, the question was just the opposite. A friend of his, Emile Bernard, produced a
painting of Christ in the Olive Garden,
and van Gogh went ballistic! He berated
Bernard for painting something that wasn’t “real,” and of robbing the scene of
the “reality” of agony in the process.
I can only imagine Bernard's painting looked something like those white statues we sometimes see in cemeteries: Jesus pure and calm - almost peaceful - as he glances heavenward and seems to ask, "...oh, and would you be so good as to remove this cup from my lips, if you have a moment"?
Those statues can evoke a sense of peace, which is certainly a worthy objective. But the perfect hair, the gracefully flowing robe, the relaxed posture, all add up to a mockery of any real suffering, much less that which our Savior must have endured.
I can only imagine Bernard's painting looked something like those white statues we sometimes see in cemeteries: Jesus pure and calm - almost peaceful - as he glances heavenward and seems to ask, "...oh, and would you be so good as to remove this cup from my lips, if you have a moment"?
Those statues can evoke a sense of peace, which is certainly a worthy objective. But the perfect hair, the gracefully flowing robe, the relaxed posture, all add up to a mockery of any real suffering, much less that which our Savior must have endured.
In response, van Gogh produced a series of
paintings of a nearby olive grove. These paintings seem to portray only
olive trees. There's no praying or suffering figure of any kind to be
found.
But there is agony. It is seen in the writhing of the trees themselves. The branches twist and struggle against an unseen torment - the leaves shudder, and the shadows seem as rivers of sweat - or blood - flowing from each tree.
In the 2000 performance of the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, the chorus called out to "Never forget this scene, for it is here that your salvation was secured." Van Gogh's paintings remind us more powerfully than any comforting sculpture that our salvation was secured only at an incomprehensible cost.
But there is agony. It is seen in the writhing of the trees themselves. The branches twist and struggle against an unseen torment - the leaves shudder, and the shadows seem as rivers of sweat - or blood - flowing from each tree.
In the 2000 performance of the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, the chorus called out to "Never forget this scene, for it is here that your salvation was secured." Van Gogh's paintings remind us more powerfully than any comforting sculpture that our salvation was secured only at an incomprehensible cost.
We've all seen the bumper stickers that say " God loves you." These paintings tell us how much.
If this is meaningful to you, feel free to keep the artcoin, or place it in another cache to share it with someone else. Whether it's meaningful to you or not, I'd really like to hear from you about your reaction. If you get a chance, send me a note
Want to know more about how God speaks to us through visual art?
Check out Art to Heart: Encounters with God in the world's great art