“The figure in the icon is not meant to represent literally what Peter or John or any of the apostles looked like, or what Mary looked like, nor the child, Jesus. But, the orthodox painter feels, Jesus of Nazareth did not walk around Galilee faceless. The icon of Jesus may not look like the man Jesus two thousand years ago, but it represents some quality of Jesus, or his mother, or his followers, and so becomes an open window through which we can be given a new glimpse of the love of God.”
~Madeleine L'Engle
Love.
ReplyDeleteI really like this quote, and I am glad that it was posted, or else I probably never would have been exposed to it. I think that Madeleine L'Engle perfectly captures an explanation for the many different portraits of Jesus that have been added to society. Obviously we will never know exactly what Jesus, his disciples, family members, or followers looked like. That is why an image of Jesus can be interpreted and composed in an infinite number of ways. An image of Jesus can be used as a vehicle to portray a certain idea or characteristic or message.
ReplyDeleteI like when Madeleine L'Engle says "The figure in the icon is not meant to represent literally what Peter or John or any of the apostles looked like, or what Mary looked like, nor the child, Jesus." By saying this she is capturing the essence of the several different portraits of Jesus. We will never know what Jesus looked like, but the important thing is to be able to recognize the qualities Jesus embodied. Through these qualities, we can learn from them and hopefully practice them in our own lives.
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