Gospel in Art: Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lakeside

Looking Down Yosemite Valley, by Albert Bierstadt, 1864 © Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 23 January 2025
Mark 3:7-12

At that time: Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lakeside, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, 'You are the Son of God.' And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

Reflection on the painting

At the beginning of our Gospel reading, we hear: 'Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lakeside.' At times, Jesus sought to move away from the synagogues and crowds, where he was frequently met with scepticism and the resistance of the Pharisees. Jesus found solace in nature. Whether ascending the hills to pray or walking along the lakeshore in conversation with his disciples, he connected with his Father in the stillness of the beautiful natural landscapes around Him. He retreated to the countryside because he knew it would offer the silence and peace absent from the bustling villages and cities.

In art, certain landscape paintings evoke a similar sense of stillness, silence, and tranquillity through their depiction of the natural world. Many of these works are 'representative'; they re-present the landscape, making it present to us once more. This re-presentation often carries a spiritual dimension. Such paintings go beyond a mere objective rendering of a scene; they reveal something of the artist's soul-what captured their imagination, which colours spoke to them, and the energy they sought to convey on canvas. Many of these landscapes serve as an unconscious yet heartfelt expression of gratitude to God for the beauty of the natural world he has created for us to enjoy. Hence to me, these landscape paintings are as much Christian artworks, as the depiction of biblical scenes or portraits of saints.

Our featured painting, by Albert Bierstadt, stunningly captures one of America's most magnificent landscapes: Yosemite Valley, bathed in the golden glow of evening light. The landscape is revealing a lake, set between the majestic mountains. This is a monumental work, measuring over five feet by eight (150 cm by 250 cm). Bierstadt's portrayal of this awe-inspiring scene transcends the mere application of paint on canvas-it stands as a homage to nature and, in doing so, glorifies God.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/mark-3-7-12-2025/