Gospel in Art: Remain in my love

"Aimez-vous les uns les autres" by Henri-Camille Danger, © Dorotheum Auctions, Vienna

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 11 May 2023
John 15:9-11

Jesus said to his disciples:

'As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.

Remain in my love.

If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love.

I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.'

Reflection on the painting

In today's painting we see a different take on the theme of today's Gospel, about the need to remain in God's love and the need to love one another. The canvas shows what happens when we don't love each other: there is a war torn village burning in the background, dead figures in the foreground, two cemeteries depicted, a storm brewing in the top right corner, and above all, Christ looks on in absolute despair. It is rare to find a painting where Jesus is depicted looking away from events and holding His hand by his head. We don't see his face, but yet we know exactly what he thinks.

The size of this picture plays a big role in how we as a viewer interact with it. The painting is 157 x 217 cm (around 5 x 7 feet) and draws the viewer right into the drama we are witnessing. Indeed Christ must depair at times at what we are doing to each other. Henri Camille Danger won the 'Grand Prix de Rome' painting competition in 1887 with this painting. The present painting helped establish his international reputation and is one of the artist's most iconic works. He painted this subject with beautiful meticulousness and dedication. His works were also exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris (1887, when the Eiffel Tower was built) and he was awarded the Légion d'Honneur in 1903. This painting sold for $140,000 in 2016.

In our short Gospel reading there is a huge emphasis on love: God the Father's love for Jesus, Jesus' love for all of us, and his call on us to remain in his love, plus also for us to love one another. The call to 'remain' in Jesus' love suggests that we already find ourselves within his love! This love is given to us in baptism. The ask to remain in the Lord's love suggests that we can remove ourselves from his love. And we often do this by the way we act...

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-15-9-11-2023/