SUNDAY COLUMN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 299, 30 September 1939, Page 3

SUNDAY COLUMN

NEWS OF THE CHURCHES. (Conducted by the Ashburton Ministehs’ Association). THE LIKENESS OF OUR LORD. Before me is a collection of over a hundred pictures of artists’ conceptions of the face of Jesus. It has taken some time to gather these together, and they have come from many sources, but the work of collecting has been a delight, and the result is both a revelation and an inspiration. It is a remarkable thing that we have no authentic likeness of our Lord by an} of his contemporaries. One would have thought that amongst his many disciples (1 Cor. 15: 6) someone would have written a description or that some Greek or Roman would have painted a portrait, but if such were done it was evidently not divinely inspired work needing preservation. One vivid word picture is handed down in the form of a letter from Publius Lentulus to the Roman Senate. Although scholars question the authenticity of this letter, it is evidently of very early origin aiid contains some interesting statements, condensed as follows : “There appeared in these days a man of great virtue, named Jesus Christ, who is yet among us ... a man of stature tail and comely, with a very reverend countenance such as a beholder must both love and fear. His hair, the colour of chestnut, plain to the ears, whence downward it is curly, and waving about his shoulders. In his forehead is a partition of his hair after the mamier of the Nazarites, forehead plain and very delicate ; his face without spot or wrinkle, his nose forked, his heard thick, in colour like his hair, not overlong; his look innocent and mature; his eyes grey, quick and clear.” Included in our collection are four copies of “The Towel of Veronica,” with the legendary imprint of Jesus’ face. Although this legend is accepted by papal authorities it is significant that these foyr pictures differ even while endorsed by the authorities. Evidently they are not all genuine, and so one questions whether the towel of Veronica had any existence in the days of our Lord. The earliest trace of artistic effort was discovered in 1910 at Antioch, where the disciples were first called “Christians,” and it was a' silver cup covered with an ornamental vine design of exquisite workmanship. It included sections depicting Christ with his apostles. Some archaeologists believe this cup to date back to A.D. 60 and to contain a “true portrait” of Jesus, wrought by an artist who may actually have seen him.

In tlie catacombs of Rome a nameless artist drew Jesus as a joyous young shepherd, hut this may have been only emblematic. There is, however, a striking frescoe on the ceiling of a vault in the catacombs which contains every trace of having been painted in the second century. And from that time down to the present day the face of Jesus has challenged the imagination of notable artists of the world. Our collection contains the work of men of all periods and of many races, including such as Giovanni, da Vinci, Van Dyck, Rembrant, ISodoma, Michelangelo, Del Sarto, Rubens, C. R. Leslie, Holman Hunt, Hofmann and Tissot, with numerous other pictures which have no artists’ signatures. In addition, by dramatic representations such as the Oberammergau Passion Play, on ivory dyptyeh mosaic, statuary, stained windows, embroidery, and other devices, artists of all periods have reverently endeavoured to depict their idea of the likeness of Christ. As one writer says, “Art reaches its highest glory in the sublime effort to express the face of Jesus Christ.” Our collection reveals an interesting development. The earliest pictures are crude and so in some ways displeasing. Then comes a period when ornamentations, such as halos, .jewels and vestments, create an artificial effect.- Next there seems to be an endeavour after a distorted realism, marred by effeminate features seeking to depict the meekness and gentleness of our Lord. Now, in these modern days, many of these defects are overcome and a perfectly natural likeness, in its tine eastern setting, is produced, subdued in. its conception but refined, strong and virile. Thus the artists are teaching that our Lord was clothed in human form, a ■man among men. Perhaps this is one reason why no contemporary portrait exists. Jesus’ face did not reveal any supernatural qualities which would attract attention. His was an ordinary face like those we see every \day in the streets. Is that why Judas had to indicate which person was Jesus in the garden by implanting a kiss upon him? Jesus had emptied himself of liis divine glory and become a man in very truth made “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom. 8: 3). Along this line of thought we are led to three of the paintings of modern artists in our collection: Herbert Beecroft, an English artist living in Australia, who has given us a very dignified and beautiful interpretation of Jesus as he looks upon Peter at the denial; Harold Copping, whose studies of Christ are amongst the loveliest pictures and whose portrait of Jesus was voted hv the American Council of Christian Education as the “most satisfactory interpretation ;” and W. E. Snllman, whose picture of Jesus is in our opinion the most reverent, noble and natural conception of the face of our Lord.

“BRETHREN, PRAY FOR US!” “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ve know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house oomoth, at even, or at midnight, or at the eoekerowing or in the morning.’’—Mark 13: 33-35.