Christian art and culture introduced a new spirit, a new conception of the universe and a whole new set of values. Christianity developed images after three centuries of limited symbolic forms. The miraculous powers of icons were the object of growing veneration; the image was believed to bring blessings, miraculous cures and protection from harm.
Holding a lamb and a shephard's staff, the fixed gaze of Jesus draws the viewer into the mystical presence. Born to a shepherd, his association with sheep and lamb is natural. These animals are as gentle of nature as the serene and kindly man himself. Blonde, curling hair fall over his shoulders, and the bearded Jesus has a captivating smile of compassion and beatitude. Surrounded by the grazing sheep and a calm landscape, he stands aloft, larger than life. The glow on his face has an extraordinary crystalline tenderness.
Keeping in mind the serene persona of Jesus, the artist has used soft tones of browns and ochres predominantly with the peacock blue of Jesus' wrap breaking a chromatic monotony. The line has no rough edges; even the hills in the background are gently ascending. The sky, despite having various hues of blue does not look stormy.
The painting has a sense of harmony and colour, but above all, a spiritual humanism.
This description by Renu Rana.
times since 2nd Oct, 2008
