Dr. Palmer and Her Monkey Mac

Hi there! My name is Heidi Palmer. I am the Director of Excursions within our crew of determined Archeologists. Before I signed up for this expedition, I was in charge of Geneva College’s Outdoor Adventure Program. I encourage my students to find art in God’s creation and in their surroundings, no matter where it may be. With my monkey Mac I traveled to Italy in search of adventure! I teamed up with 4 other highly talented colleagues and together we have found many different works of art depicting the miraculous workings of our God.

My strongest belief is that life is too short to worry about anything, so I don’t. Things will work out and if they don’t, they weren’t meant to! Give God the control and see where He takes you. It will always be an adventure!

Genesis

Artist: Lorenzo Ghiberti

Date: 1336

Location: Florence, Italy

Medium: Bronze Relief

Dimensions: 2 Heidi Heads tall and 1 Heidi Head wide

Lorenzo Ghiberti was an early Renaissance Italian artist best know for works of sculpture and metalwork. He was born in 1378. His mother was married to a man named Cione Ghiberti and they lived in Pelago, Italy, near Florence. At some point in Ghiberti’s life, his mother left his father and moved to Florence. She then began to see a man named Bartolo di Michele. She lived as his common law wife until 1370 when Cione passed away. She then married Bartolo and it was he that taught Ghiberti the art of goldsmith. Bartolo was extremely talented in goldsmith and an excellent teacher. Ghiberti learned quickly and soon became better at being a goldsmith than his stepfather. However, Ghiberti found more pleasure in sculpting and painting. He would often make statues and portraits of his friends just for fun. It is documented that he received training to be a painter as well as a goldsmith. Ghiberti excelled in all he did.

In 1400, Ghiberti left Florence in order to study painting. However, in 1401 he heard of a competition that was being held in which the winner would get the commission to build two bronze doors for the Baptistery of the cathedral of Florence. He immediately returned and entered the competition. Ghiberti and 6 others were given the task to recreate the biblical scene of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac following the pattern of the first set of doors created by Andrea Pisano. Of course, Ghiberti was the winner. The task of creating the reliefs for the doors lasted for 23 years. After finishing the Bronze doors he began to create The Gates of Paradise which depicted the scenes from the Old Testament. He finished those about 20 years later. His doors replicated ancient Roman art in the way of their style. The faces of the people in the relief were strong and emotional in the same way an ancient sculpture would have been.

Although the doors were a time consuming task, they were not the only things he created during that time. Ghiberti designed stained glass windows for the cathedral, was an architectural consultant for the cathedral, and even collaborated with Brunelleschi on constructing the dome (Britanica.com). Also, in 1412 he was commissioned to make a life size statue of John the Baptist by “The Guild of Merchant Bankers.” John the Baptist was their patron saint. It was created from bronze and was the first large bronze statue in Florence. After it was completed, Ghiberti’s popularity began to grow. He was asked to make 2 bronze reliefs for a baptistery in Siena but was not able to finish them until 10 years later. He was involved in so many other pieces that he did not have enough time to work on them (Britanica.com).

In 1416, Ghiberti married a young girl named Marsilia. She bore him 2 sons: Tomasso, born in 1417 and Vittorio, born in 1418. When they were old enough they helped their father with his work. Vittorio continued on in his father’s trade long after Lorenzo passed. Ghiberti passed away on December 1^st, in 1455 in Florence, Italy, leaving behind a legacy of art work. He set a standard for other artists to follow and is inspiring artists to this day.

Bibliography:
Constance Lowenthal

http://www.artist-biography.info/artist/lorenzo_ghiberti/

Jesus Healing a Deaf-Mute

Artist: Bartholomeus Breenbergh

Date: 1635

Location: Louvre Museum
Paris, France

Medium: Oil on Wood

Dimensions: 122 x 90 cm

The healing of the deaf-mute of Decapolis is a miracle in the Bible found in Mark chapter seven. When Jesus left the area of Tyre on his way to the Sea of Galilee he passed through the area of the Decapolis. (Decapolis means the Ten Cities and was located in modern day Jordan). Some people brought a nameless deaf-mute man before Christ and pleaded with him to heal their friend. Jesus took the deaf-mute aside, placed his fingers in the man’s ears, then spit and touched his tongue. With these seemingly strange actions the man was healed. Verses 34 and 35 say, “He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (which means, ‘Be opened!’) ₃₅At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.” After Jesus performed the miracle he told the newly healed man not to tell anyone. But the man did not listen. He told many people. They were truly amazed at the power of Christ.

As with many miracles, I have often wondered why Christ told people not to tell others about the miracles he had just accomplished. In Mark chapter one he says, “See that you do not tell anyone about this.” In Mark chapter eight he says the same thing. Why all the secrecy about the miracles? In my way of thinking, telling others would make sense. People would hear about the miracles, come to see the man who healed, and listen to him preach. It seems like it would have been a great way to get people to come and listen. However, after pondering on all the possibilities, I do not think that is what Christ wanted. Yes, he wanted people to listen to him preach, but no, he did not want them to come just for the sake of seeing a miracle. The miracles were good, but he did not want people to be focused on the miracles themselves. I think Jesus knew that people would miss the whole purpose of his coming if all they came for were the miracles. Jesus did not come to show off the powers that God the Father gave him. He came to heal our souls. And being the sinful beings that we are, it is far too easy to get caught up in the miracles instead of listening to the message.

Another reason why Christ might say “do not tell” is because he is trying to uphold the law. In Bible times, a leper is forbidden to enter a town for fear of infecting others. If the leper were to suddenly be healed he would still not be allowed to enter the town until he had offered sacrifices that Moses had commanded for cleansing. For the leper to run in to town to tell everyone would be a risk to himself and to Jesus.

This happens in Mark chapter one. After Christ heals a leper he instructs him not to tell anyone. However, the man is so overjoyed at being healed that he tells everyone he sees. Pretty soon, Jesus had to move his ministry out into the desert, away from the people. And it was all because a man told when Christ instructed him not to.

Bibliography:

The Bible

http://www.gotquestions.org/do-not-tell.html

The Resurrection of Our Lord

Artist: Woven by Pieter van Aelst, replicating a sketch by an unknown student of Raphael

Date: Date of tapestry unknown, but sketch was made in 1524-1531

Location: Vatican Museum
Rome, Italy

Medium: Tapestry

Dimensions: 562 x 954 cm

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation for Christianity. Without it, everything we do is unfulfilling, empty, hopeless, and meaningless. Those feelings must have been the exact ones that came over the followers of Christ when they learned that he had been crucified. What were they to do now? Many of Christ’s disciples had left behind their jobs and family to follow the Savior. If he was gone, where would they go? Could they simply walk back home and get there jobs back? They would have to start new lives and deal with the humiliation of being the ones that followed the fake messiah.

God was aware of what his followers were feeling. Knowing they were sad and afraid he made sure that they had contact with Jesus after he had been raised from the dead. The first person to see Jesus was Mary Magdalene. She had a conversation with the risen Messiah which gave her great hope. Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and to your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary went immediately and told the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:17-18)

Hearing this news must have been too good to be true. Why else would they have doubted the words of Mary? The Lord appeared to them in a locked room and said, “Peace be with you!” The disciples must have indeed had a sense of peace. Their Savior had risen from the dead. Even Thomas, who did not believe at first, was given confidence, knowing for certain that his Savior was alive again.

Often times I have wished that I was among the disciples to witness Christ after his resurrection for myself. I wish I, like Thomas, could have placed my finger in his wounds for proof that it was indeed Jesus standing before me. I wish I could have heard him say, “Peace be with you” and to feel the peace that would follow. I wish I was there, but I wasn’t. I have to learn to trust that he did rise, that Christ is still risen, and that he will be forevermore.

Throughout this week I began looking for ways to reassure myself that Christ had risen from the dead and that life was not meaningless, hopeless and empty. They may not be things that would make anyone believe, but they were enough for me. I was able to feel Christ’s presence in each moment:

Number 1: I went to church in Rome, Italy with a congregation of over 7 different races from different countries. Even though I did not understand the songs that some of the people sang in their own language I got goose bumps.

Number 2: I watched a nun on a bus give her seat to a woman and her child.

Number 3: I sang in a choir with Italians and Philippinos. Our different accents were used to tell others about the birth of Christ.

Number 4: I went out to Chinese with some friends and they shared their testimonies with me.

Number 5: I talked to a missionary that works in Rome and heard the assurance in her voice about the will of God.

Number 6: I spent 3 months in Rome, Italy, learning about these people, learning to love these people, and wanting to stay here longer.

I did not get to be in the room when Christ said, “Peace be with you.” I was not able to touch his wounds and feel his power. But Christ touches me here in this place every day. I do not need to see him physically because I can see him moving all around me. I just need to be aware of his presence in my life. This is how I know that life is not meaningless or empty. My Savior has risen from the dead and I know that for a fact.

Bibliography:

http://www.stjohnscocathedral.com/the-collections/positions-of-tapestries.html

Relief of Jonah and the Whale

Artist: Unknown

Date: 1718

Location: San Giovanni in Laterano (Above Simon the Zealot) – Rome, Italyy

Medium: Marble

I was first drawn to this relief because of the story it represents. Jonah and the whale is one of my favorite Bible stories. At first it was because I thought it would be extremely awesome to be swallowed by a whale. But as I got older its meaning became clearer and I continued to love it. This story is one of my favorites because, like many Bible stories, it is about God’s faithfulness and forgiveness. When Jonah flees from God he brings distress on the people around him. The sailors on the boat fear for their lives and ask Jonah to pray to his god that he will take notice of them. Jonah tells the men to throw him into the sea (Jonah 1:12). They do and the giant fish swallows him up. How many times in my life have I fled from God only to wind up in a dark place similar to that of a whale’s belly? Far too many to count, that’s for sure. Yet every time God continues to love me and wait for me to come back. He waits for me to change my attitude, to change my thinking, or to change my heart. He waits until I realize how wrong I was to try and flee. Jonah calls out to God saying, “You brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God” (2:6c). God hears him from the belly of the whale and rescues him. He gives Jonah a second chance to do as he is called. Like Jonah, I too call out to the Lord from my black pit. I come back, but not always with a joyful spirit. After God saves Jonah from the whale he asks him to go to Nineveh again. Jonah agrees but after he tells the town of the great destruction to come he sits and waits in expectation for God to destroy the people. When He doesn’t, Jonah is angry. “Why are you showing mercy and compassion on them?” he wonders. God is a God of compassion and mercy. He showed compassion on Nineveh, He showed compassion on Jonah, and He shows compassion on me every day. I owe my life to God. I owe my future to God.

For this blog I painted a picture that depicts my personal response to the relief of Jonah and the Whale. It is a painting of me, sitting on a beach, head cast down in shame, after being spit up by the whale swimming in the background. Basically, it is a picture of my life and of God’s ever enduring faithfulness to save me from my own sin. It was my sin that got me in the whale and God’s love that got me out. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

Bibliography:
http://romanchurches.wikia.com/wiki/San_Giovanni_in_Laterano

David with the Head of Goliath

Artist: Guido Reni

Date: 1605

Location: Louvre Museum: Paris, France

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Dimensions: 220 x 145 cm

In this piece by Guido Reni we see David standing calmly beside the severed head of Goliath. His expression is one of satisfaction but also of disinterest. This painting was completed in 1605 during the Baroque Era but seems to lack a few key elements that Baroque paintings are known for. There is little motion, little emotion, and little drama. David is leaning on a pillar, motionless.

Goliath’s head sits with eyes closed as though he is just sleeping. He doesn’t appear to have been any kind of threat to David. He may have been depicted in this way to show how confident David was in the power of his God. In a sense, Goliath was not a threat to David. All along he knew that God was in control so there was no need to fear the giant. This piece is one of contemplation. David seems to be pondering the death of Goliath without being too attached. This makes David appear to be disinterested with killing and death. If there was too much interest it would tarnish his holy and Christ-like appearance. This may have been in response to the religious turmoil that was ensuing during the Baroque Era. Churches were striving to redefine faith, Catholics and Protestants were battling head on for religious rights. The pope called for art that clearly stated the power of God. David’s casual stance speaks greatly toward the power of God.

Chiaroscuro is used very subtly in this painting. David’s right shoulder is illuminated by a mysterious light. One can only assume that it is a Heavenly light because everything else is dark and only the spot where David is standing is lit up. The painting also uses warm colors which were common to Baroque Era paintings. Because of this the aesthetics of the painting are calming and echo the stance that David holds. David’s shoulder seems to be the focal point of the painting. It is the spot where the darkest dark and the lightest light meet. The light on his shoulder draws your eyes upward to see his almost expressionless face.

While this piece was completed around the same time as Carvaggio’s David with the Head of Goliath, it is very, very different. Carvaggio’s piece is one coursing with motion. Even though Goliath’s head is detached from his body it looks as though it could bite your fingers off at any moment. Unlike Reni’s painting it uses Tenebrism that Carvaggio is so famous for. Tenebrism is a type of chiaroscuro, but it is just more intense. Reni’s David seems to be contemplating the death of Goliath whereas Carvaggio’s David is scowling down at the dripping head that is extended towards onlookers. His expression seems to be one of pity and almost concern whereas Reni’s David leans casually, as detached as Goliath’s head.

Bibliography: 

http://bettybaroque.wordpress.com/2011/03/17/guido-reni-1575-1642/

http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/guido-reni/david-with-the-head-of-goliath-1606