The Expedition

After an extensive study into ancient art that spans centuries, the Archeological Society of Geneva College has found multiple depictions of miracles in the Bible. These miracles may be classified simply as supernatural acts of God in the Bible; therefore they are not limited solely to those done by Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament. The works of art that have been found use mediums ranging from 4^th century frescos in dark catacombs to elaborate gold mosaics of the Byzantine Era and beyond. This study has taken into account the many different portrayals of miracles in art throughout the ages; the reasons behind the artist’s hand, the message being portrayed, and the many different mediums used.  

Art has changed exponentially throughout the generations and this is almost entirely due to the changing culture of the time. As empires rise and fall, as new religions come and old religions go, and as the religions that are present change as the culture around them changes, so also does the art of the period. During ancient Greece and Ancient Roman times the art was primarily of the gods of the era. Many frescos were abstract; the figures in them would be portrayed as if they were not taking up space so as to show the relationship with the divine. As Christianity began to take a public form in the Roman Empire, due to Constantine, the art changed to portray many Biblical characters and stories. “They [Ancient Greek artists] created the means to communicate the ideals of Christianity as it changed and became more public. These anonymous artists, at once conventional and innovative, helped effect a transition from the ancient to the medieval world” (Art Past Art Present, 155).

This brings us to the portrayal of Biblical miracles in the Bible; however, this is not to say that before this time miracles were not portrayed in art. As we will see in many of the individual blogs, there were many frescos made before Christianity became legal. However, after the acceptance of Christianity and the start of the Catholic Church the portrayal of miracles in art began to multiply. Even after Christian art became more prominent the style of the art still changed over the years. The figure of Jesus progressed from being the Good Shepard to the powerful ruler, and eventually it became more common for the characters to have physical presence in the fresco or mosaic instead of being abstract.

According the Council of Trent the portrayal of miracles, especially in the church or in the catacombs was a way of bringing those who saw them closer to God and salvation during their time of worship. “The Mysteries of our Redemption, portrayed by paintings or other representations,” are to keep revolving in the minds of the people, “but also because the miracles which God has performed by means of the saints , and their salutary examples, are set before the eyes of the faithful; that so they may give God thanks for those things; may order their own lives and manners in imitation of the saints; and may be excited to adore and love God, and to cultivate piety” (Council of Trent, 84). They did not want art to be used as anything to be worshiped, as some used to do, but rather as a tool to create a mindset of adoration, love and piety for God.

In addition to bringing the viewer closer in their relationship with Christ, the art was also used as a way or showing the miraculous stories of the Bible to those common people who were illiterate. The continuous narrative is a perfect example of how this could happen. In The Sacrifice of Isaac, found on the Gates of Paradise, it shows the different progressions of the story in the different portions of the panel. With this any onlooker would be able to “read” the story as it unfolded on the door.

Throughout this blog our archeologists will explain the many pieces of art they have uncovered and the meanings and history behind them. They will discuss how the art has changed; the meaning of the art, their own personal responses and in some cases the history of the artist himself. These pieces of art are found all over Rome, Florence and Venice, Italy and there are also some from as far north as Paris, France. It has been a great adventure and truly a growing experience as we have drawn closer to the study of ancient art and its meanings.

Bibliography

Rome Reader. Council of Trent. Geneva College. 2010-2011. Published by Geneva College.

Wilkins, David, Schultz, Bernard, Linduff, Katheryn. Art Past Art Present. Sixth Edition. Laurence King Publishing. London. 2009. 

Meet the Team

Dr. Collett - Art Director & Aristotle Hippie

Dr. Glick - Respectable Business Man & Trained Assassin

AKA: The Most Serene Purveyor of Darkness

Dr. Palmer - Teacher & Adventure Guide 

Our very own: Animal Translator

Dr. Regalado - Historian & Culinary Extraordinaire

Boils up a Hardy Tree Bark Stew :)

Dr. Reiner - Journalist Director & Yoga Instructor

Recently Discovered Photos of the Team’s Expedition – Before Their Disappearance

Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee

Date: 1914

Artist: Giorgio de Chirico

Location: Paris, France

Style: Metaphysical Art

Genre: Religious Painting

Size: 398 × 450

This modern piece of art is one of my favorites in the modern art section of the Vatican Museum. It was painted by Giorgio Chirico in 1914. Chirico was most known for his modern surrealist paintings. This is oil on wood and is located in the Modern Religious art section of the Vatican Museum. In this description of the painting I will share my interpretation of the meaning of this painting. It is my belief, that through the use of colors and changes in the brush strokes, that the artist is trying to change the viewers emotions and create an experience from this depiction of a religious story.

There are many themes present within this painting that help draw out the drama and meaning of the painting. The beautiful thing about modern art is that it is painted in a way that shows the intensity of the emotions and places things from the perspective from the painter. It is how the painter views it brings life to the painting, without their understanding of humanity the painting is not as impactful. The painter allows the viewer to fill in their emotions by leaving it open to interpretation.

Within this painting there is a large contrast between bright colors and dark colors which associates with the mood of the characters in the painting. Christ is located in the foreground of the painting and is brightly clothed in orange.  His mandola is the lightest object in the painting, pointing to the holiness and calmness of Christ. The strokes of the paintings are more fluid and connected, while the strokes elsewhere are more haphazard. Christ is to be the figure in the painting that represents the divine and shows the calmness of God on Earth. While Christ is wearing a bright color, the disciples are wearing more muted clothing. The brush strokes that are used on their clothes are also shorter than those used to paint Christ. It is my interpretation that the muteness of the disciples clothing is to show their fear and lack of faith in the power of the Lord. In scripture Christ tells his disciples that they have little faith in the one that controls and created the seas.

There is movement to the right within the painting which I believe symbolizes the son of man and his position at the right hand of God. The flowing of the waves and foam push the eyes in this direction and the disciples are leaning to the right side which also brings to eye to this position. The counter movement within this painting is the disciples’ arms that are pointing out the storm to Christ who lays asleep. This counter movement represents the doubt within the disciples’ heart. It shows their lack of faith in Christ. Men understand fear and they revel in it, their arms reaching towards the storm show their desire for fear. In our minds we feel that if we fear something we are in control, but scripture tells us that we are not to fear and to put trust in the Lord. This painting depicts the desire to lean on the Lord, but to reach for something that we can comprehend and hold onto.

The final in the painting is the storm. This is the part of the painting that stumped me. It is not light but it is also not dark. It holds elements of calmness and elements of chaos, but it also seems to hold an interesting meaning. The sea during Christ’s time was a scary place in which many men would not travel for fear of losing their way or falling into evil. The sea was a representation of evil, fear and the unknown. I think what the painter is trying to explain here is that God is present everywhere and the light will be shown in dark places, but there is still darkness because as humans we have not hit the point of understanding the light and beauty of God.  That is why the disciples are reaching towards the sea, it is something that they can fear and give power too. They do not realize that the one sitting in the boat holds more power than the sea.

This painting is one that holds many interpretations and Biblical truths within the painting. This is my interpretation and now as a viewer it is your duty to evaluate and look at this painting. What does the painting mean to you? How does it affect you? What emotion do you feel when you look at it? What could certain parts of the painting mean? While this can seem cumbersome it creates a different response to the painting. For myself I am not a huge modern art fan, but this painting draws a sorrow for our human desire for control and fear, while it reminds me that I am to listen to my urge to move towards Christ in faith. This interpretation is mine. Now what is yours?

Bibliography:

"Christ and the Storm - Giorgio De Chirico - WikiPaintings.org." WikiPaintings.org - the Encyclopedia of Painting. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/giorgio-de-chirico/christ-and-the-storm-1914>.

"De Chirico Giorgio: Biography." Italica - Il Sito Dedicato Alla Lingua E Alla Cultura Italiana Di Rai International. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://www.italica.rai.it/eng/principal/topics/bio/dechirico.htm>.

Who is Dr. Glick?

My name is Caleb Glick and I am all business, meaning that I am a business major, certainly not that I am serious all the time, as demonstrated by my photographs. I am a Businessman and occasionally a Samaria Assassin for our clan of talented Doctors. I am scraping by hoping one day to exhibit my love for cooking by opening my own restaurant. And yet I have other loves that compete for my attention and career interests, such as music. Traveling throughout Europe with this group of archeologists has exposed me to a whole new world. Whether I pursue a career in international business, restaurant management, or the lofty field of stage performance, I trust that God will lead me down the right path for my life and that God will use me to further the Kingdom in mighty ways. 

Dr. Regalado's Profile

My name is Dr. Kathryn Regalado and I am a Dr of history and have spent the last three months searching for paintings that show the miracles within the Church all throughout Italy. I am the historian of our group of writers. I have my degree in European studies with an emphasis on the Ancient Roman history. While the pieces of art mentioned on my page are not all ancient art they show the importance of looking throughout the ages at the depictions that we as humans have shown. I believe that it is extremely important that we know where we have come from as humans and the easiest way to see the progression of our history is through art. The importance of history is seen in how we develop through the ages and without art and literature we would not have an accurate understanding of our humanity. As a historian it is important to look throughout all of history and desire to seek the knowledge of man. History is the most important gift that we are given to further our knowledge of our future.

Wedding at Cana

Room: 35 - The Tintoretto and Barocci Room Uffizi


Artist: Andrea Boscoli


Period: 1560-1606/7


Type: Oil on canvas


Dimensions: 127.5x191


Notes: Signed at the foot of the chest. At the Uffizi since 1975.

The Gospel According to John

Chapter 2

1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.
3 When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."
4 (And) Jesus said to her, "Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come."
5 His mother said to the servers, "Do whatever he tells you."
6 Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons.
7 Jesus told them, "Fill the jars with water." So they filled them to the brim.
8 Then he told them, "Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter." So they took it.
9 And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom
10 and said to him, "Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now."
11 Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.
12 After this, he and his mother, (his) brothers, and his disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed there only a few days.            


Many people have an idea of who Christ was and what he did. He was a man that died on a cross for the sins of the world and now we can find redemption and grace in his name. But what many people sometimes look over is the start of his ministry. Holidays celebrate His birth and his resurrection but what about the beginning of his ministry, what was he doing that would make him worthy of dying for the sins of the world? This painting of the Wedding of Cana is an illustration of the first miracle that Christ did in his ministry. In this analysis we are going to address what this passage of Scripture is talking about and how the painter uses these verses to illustrate this miracle.


This first verse in the gospel of John sets the scene as a wedding in Cana and Mary, Jesus’ mother was invited and Jesus and his disciples were asked to attend as well (verse 1-3). When at the wedding the wine runs out. In the Jewish culture if a household was to run out of  wine at the wedding feast was a disgrace to the new couple and the father’s house. It showed a lack of wealth and presented the couple as one that was not prepared for the future. With being said, from the text we can assume that Mary was helping with the wedding festivities in some way because she was addressed with the problem of running out of wine. When she tells her son that they are out of wine he tells her “my hour has not yet come” telling his mother that his time of ministry is not to begin yet (Biblegateway). When Mary tells the servant that they are to listen to everything that Christ says she is to allowing her son to reveal himself to others but in a quiet setting. Nowhere in this text is there an announcement publically that Jesus was the one that made water into wine. No it says at the end that the servants and disciples knew that he was the one responsible for the miracle. I found it interesting that the first people that Jesus revealed his God nature to were servants at a wedding. In my opinion I think this shows that Christ came into a world that was not expecting him and when he showed up and performed a miracle and was not showy about it he proclaimed the humility of his kingdom and how it was for the least of these.


This painting was completed somewhere between 1560 and1606. It was painted by Andrea Boscoli in oils (Uffizi).  This painting is a nice illustration of Jesus’ first miracle. Within the painting we see Christ sitting at the table pointing to the jar that a servant is holding in the middle of the painting. Sitting across from him seems to be Mary looking and watching to see if the miracle would take place. She seems anxious her left hand is grasping her seat in anticipation. Christ looks calm and the servant looks startled in amazement. These three characters in the image draw a triangle if you trace a line between each of them. This shows the power of the trinity or God. The painter does a nice job of showing that the story only impacts a few people in the scene. As Christ, Mary and the servant interact the rest of the people in the painting are oblivious to the happenings in the foregrounds of the painting. This miracle is only being seen by the three that are interacting within the painting. This painting has a joyful feel and brings life forth from the painting.


This painting creates a wonderful depiction of Jesus’ first miracle. It shows the mystery behind this miracle and the subtleness in which the miracle was completed. This story is an important story in understanding the rest of Christ’s ministry. Christ was a subtle figure in this painting but his actions are shown in the forefront. This painting presents this miracle in a beautiful way and depicts the power of Christ and his ministry.


Bibliography
“The Gospel According to John - Wedding in Cana." Vatican: the Holy See. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://www.vatican.va/archive/bible/new-testament/documents/bible_john-chap-2-cana_en.html>.


"John 2 Commentary - The Glory Begins to Be Revealed - BibleGateway.com." BibleGateway.com: A Searchable Online Bible in over 100 Versions and 50 Languages. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/John/Glory-Begins-Be-Revealed>.


"Andrea Boscoli: Wedding at Cana." Uffizi Gallery, Florence. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://www.virtualuffizi.com/uffizi1/cercals1.asp?Contatore=415>.