Yeshua upon the Tree: a Terrible Beauty, an Immense Paradox

[g.owen]

Here is a representation of Christ looking more like a Jewish man – including side locks of hair (called peyot, payos, or peyes). I did it that way because I have never seen him depicted on the cross in a manner that authentically indicates that he was a Jew. His hair has the hint of "ruddy" so as to suggest that he is from the bloodline of King David – like the scriptures tell that Messiah would be. Though many do not like to see him portrayed with cold eyes, I recently did this version and ended up liking it better this way. To me it is more expressive.

The original version and ideas behind the art are at my site if you are interested in such things. I open with my pencil drawing because I usually like my black & white version best. Without color it seems raw and unprocessed, a better foundation for individual contemplation.

Feedback and criticism of any kind are welcomed. I flipped the picture. I’m thinking it reads better this way because most westerners read from left to right. This way, we finish on one of the hands that we pierced.

www.thouforsaken.blogspot.com

Peace

[of_ender]

His mouth expression seems a bit odd to me.
And the little glowy fireballs? in the lower right and left are a bit distracting, but other than that good work.

[Falcoknight]

Shouldn't you have made him darker? And why is his head shaved?

Good job though.

[ask maurice]

Your B&W is perfect. Much more effective and to the point. Research for authentication terrific. Reminiscent of John Lennon's "Just give me some truth".

However, it is my personal belief that the plant used for the crown instead of the Euphorbia milii was really the Paliurus Spina. My reason being that these oval leafed species are more native to the warm, dry regions of Eurasia and North Africa and that the 2" thorns are needle sharp. This is an unattractive and truly bastard plant that I have been trying to get my wife to let me cut to the ground now for 20+ yrs.

Thank you, for your inspiring comments on your blog. It is even more true today and an embarrassment to the human race to think that even now after 2000 yrs. that most (even the Christians) still don't get it.



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[George Abraham]

I have been giving it some thought.

It seems the scene also left an example of human behaviour behind.

There always have and always will be or perhaps people will change eventually. Crowds who crucify ideas, deeds, people. Sometimes people can get discouraged with what they are doing because there's not many friends around, or a hoard of bad attention.

He forgave them, it seems that thats why the heavens was silent, it was the deed that had to happen. I guess it's people's grace to be stupid untill they eventually figure things out and for people who are chasing a true purpose in life to know that these types of behaviour are bound to follow them.

[g.owen]

Of Ender, some languages are throaty, some lippy, etc. When watching Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ, I noticed that Jim used his lips a lot when speaking the Aramaic (sort of like English speakers do when we say the word “you”). In the art here Christ is talking/yelling. It is written:

AND ABOUT THE NINTH HOUR JESUS CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE, SAYING, ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI? THAT IS TO SAY, MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?

The little fireballs are meant to be sparks rising up from bonfires/torches set by the Roman soldiers below the cross. They are my light source. Someone else told me they were distracting as well and so I removed them. But then I had more people say they liked it better with the sparks. So I put them back. It is written:

EVEN THE CRIMINALS CRUCIFIED WITH HIM WERE INSULTING HIM THE SAME WAY. NOW FROM THE SIXTH HOUR THERE WAS DARKNESS OVER ALL THE LAND UNTIL THE NINTH HOUR.

That is why the scene is dark.

Falcoknight, maybe he should be darker. Maybe I made him too dark. I don’t know. I stopped caring. His head is not shaved. He has short hair but long side locks. It was a common hairstyle for men, especially Jewish men. Yemenite and Hasidic Jews still wear their hair this way. The hairstyle is a sign to them.

Ask Maurice, I would like to see pictures of this. Interesting. I used briars that are native to Georgia as my reference. I was thinking about Caesar and his leafy laurel. I’m thinking the Roman soldiers had this in mind when they placed the crown upon his head. I do not think they were dry thorns without leaves like we usually see portrayed.

Zaorr, …wow….

[dashinvaine]

Not sure we should see a horizon at all. I quite like the colour scheme. The horozon looks a bit low if we are looking down at him. I think the nearest eyebrow should appear lower as we're looking down at the face, also. I don't like the leafy crown of thorns (though I get what you were alluding to), or the drooping lip. As for historical hairstyles and scriptural requirements/restrictions, and the skin tone thing, these are subjects too tedious and ambiguous to get into. We'll also steer clear of the pedantic discussion on where the nails would really have gone.

[GriNGo]

I think if you tone down the background, make it darker, or get red of it entirely, will definitely help your image. Is he being burnt? (i see some sparks here and there..)

[g.owen]

Dashinvaine, I am not sure about that "horizon" either. Initially I planed for us to just see the ground, considering our perspective. But then I changed it to what we see here. He was crucified on a hill. Rather than the usual horizon, we are seeing over/off a hill/cliff. And about the "pedantic discussion" you avoided concerning the placement of the nails:

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p136/g-owen/space-of-Destot.gif

Some say the nails passed through the space indicated in red - between hand bones that are connected by cartilage and such. Though there are other theories, I just went with this one. (And I actually had to look up "pedantic".)

No Gringo, he is not being burnt. Some have thought the same thing and so it must be easy to get this impression. The sparks are suppose to be from bonfires/torches that burn below. I once removed the sparks, but then people told me they like the piece better with the sparks.

Thanks

[Shadow Stalker]

It's good to see someone using his real name. I enjoyed the painting, although I am unsure about his hair color even though it was said that King David had red hair. Anyways, good job.

Are you a messianic Jew as I am?

[jakobweiq]

for artistic license, Jesus is always shown nailed on the wraist.. not possible to hold the weight, the wraist will tear thru. though again some hold that ropes r added to hold the forearm.

though i had yet to see a realistic potrayal of the crucifixation.. one tat u niid to cover ur litter nephew eyes!

[dashinvaine]

I think you might have got that the wrong way round (here I prove myself a pedant after all). Traditionally the nails were shown through the palms, as per the biblical description (John 20:25-27). (it says 'in the hands'). Recently certain know-all historian types have claimed that the crucifixion nails could not have passed through the palms because the hands couldn't take the weight of a body-, but this is nonsense. (A single fishook through the flesh can take the weight of a suspended body, let alone a nail passing between bones, although don't try it at home, kids).

If there was a historical Jesus he was unlikely to have been a true descendant of David. Two invented and contradictroy genaeologies to that effect were imposed in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, and even these only trace David's line, (via different sons of Solomon), to Joseph, who was only Jesus's adopted father, we are told.

If you asked a Sethian Gnostic or a Muslim, you would learn that Jesus wasn't killed on the cross anyway, his place was taken by Simon the Cyrene! (Even though one would say that Jesus was only an angelic apparition in the first place, and the other that he was a mortal prophet).

[jakobweiq]

haha ok

lets keep this discussion to the min or in private..
as this forum is for concept art. :D