Mother Church in the world
March 24, 2007 by ken88
If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated me before you. If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember my word that I said to you: The servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have kept my word, they will keep yours also. (John 15:18)
What is that? Dare I say, it looks like two women caressing …
Tony, It might look like that, but I see it as the Church (with the halo), and one of her children amidst a harsh world (notice hands in face of smaller female figure). At least that’s how it is intended in the post, pertaining to the Scripture passage (persecuted by the world). Not meant to look like 2 woman caressing in a sensual way. Mother comforting daughter.
Although I share Tony’s misgivings - I think that to a contemporary viewer the picture does carry too much “excess baggage” to convey the original intention - I find the image arresting. It has the feel of the French symbolists although the pictorial style of, say, Rackham. What is the provenance and who is the artist?