For a long time icons looked alien-like and unfriendly to me in their strange, gold-foiled images. When I watlz through art galleries in Greece, England, and Italy passing by old paintings of religious scenes, the Jesus in the pictures looked very different from the Jesus I knew growing up in the evangelical world. The elaborate depictions of Christ, his disciples, and his mother at the time, made me feel that these events did not happen in the same world I inhabited.
The earliest Christian artistic depictions were modest and simple. One, because the church needed secrecy and two, the church wanted to avoid making "graven" images (Dryness 26-27). Due to the edict of Milan which established the church at an imperial level, early Christian art changed drastically. Art became more elaborate with the creation of icons and majestic church buildings. However, for modern viewers who grow up in a different cultural context, the intricate, gold-decorated art can sometimes be off-putting. Icons celebrate Biblical scenes and people by using gold that highlights the divinity of the depicted moment. And while these pieces of art emphasize holiness, it also risks separating the "holy" from the ordinary. For instance, Guariento di Arpo's Coronation of the Virgin is a beautiful interpretation of Christ crowning his mother. The two figures are surrounded by gold foil with scenes of Mary present in Jesus' life as he grew up and died on the cross. The piece is deeply spiritual, but for some, the gold foil and vibrant colors may separate their conception of their "earthly," sinful self and Mary's holy life. I firmly believe in the value and beauty that icons bring to the Christian faith, and have some myself. However, I want to highlight a particular artist who connects the transcendence and ordinary for modern eyes.
Our knowledge of Scripture helps us see that God uses art to remind us that the divine is always interacting with the "mundane." In our engagement with the arts, sometimes, the artistic representation of God's presence in the world may feel like it completely disengages with this reality. Scripture affirms how God manifests his presence throughout the world. Paul in Acts chapter 17 argues that the people of Athens already know of the God he is speaking of; they have an altar to "the unknown God." While it may have been a way for the Athenians to "cover all their basis," it reveals the notion that people can know God because he makes himself known in creation. Paul reasoned that God's presence permeates their real world, "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else" (v 24-25.)
One visual artist that engages this truth well is Henry Ossawa Tanner, whose works reflect the Biblical understanding of God's presence permeating daily life. Tanner, born 1959, was an African American artist internationally recognized for his painting, The Banjo Lesson. While the majority of scholarship centers around the topic of his race, his work explores profound spiritual truths as he frequently painted Biblical stories. For my purpose, I’ll examine Tanner's depiction of the Annunciation and how this work of art serves to connect viewers to the theological belief that God is present everywhere. Tanner painted The Annunciation after a trip to Egypt, and it stands out as an unusual interpretation of the annunciation described in the gospel of Luke. Compared to the elaborate, decorated paintings from Eastern Orthodox traditions and paintings from the renaissance, Tanner's representation is simple. In the right of the picture, Mary sits with her head low, bashful and timid, and her hands clutched together in nervousness and out of respect. Her eyes are wide, and she seems hesitant to look at the angel's glory. Her obvious meekness invites us into the same posture and attitude. She wears peasant clothing, not bright, bold red, or blue. Her robe is disheveled, humble, and worn. Mary sits in some sort of bedroom chamber resembling a poor, cracked room, with rugs on the wall and a ruffled one on the floor. Clearly, the angel's visit was unannounced and sudden; she was caught in the most mundane of times and the most mundane of places. Tanner does not paint much of the angel, he leaves out the feathers and wings, but instead accentuates a bright light, like the sun. The angel is shining, and its rays illuminate Mary's face and room.
Tanner insinuates through such an unassuming depiction that because God chose to reveal himself to a poor, ordinary girl, he chooses now to reveal himself to ordinary people every day. The presence of the angelic being shows us that just as the sun illumines our days, so does the divine. God is present and reminding us of his character through simple things like light; he casts his light on all things – whether it is a rumpled rug or our very souls. He enters into all areas of our lives like our bedrooms and workplaces, eager for us to know him. If a person cannot relate with the Mary presented in icons, then Tanner's piece may be just the place for them to encounter God's presence. Tanner's paintings are statements of belief, affirming his conviction of faith while also drawing others into experiencing personal interactions with God. Another scholar affirms that Tanner sought to paint a bridge for people to see how God is present in their world,
Tanner sought for his paintings to provide a venue for this connection. He chose to paint religious scenes because they conveyed his message of interaction between humanity and divinity, and he desired future generations to have access to this…Tanner hoped this message would remind viewers of his paintings of the presence of God, and that they, too, could rely on the divine in periods of struggle like the figures in his art. (Baker, 139)
We need work like Tanner in church spaces that can serve as a bridge to those whom classical icons and paintings are not an area of refuge. It is vital to have works of art that connect us to our daily living and shows us that God is just as much of a part of our day job as he is present in "religious" spaces. Art like Tanner's reminds us that the "skies declare the glory of God" (Ps. 19:1) and that he came and "tented" among us (John 1:14). Crucial to deepening a relationship with God is living in the awareness that he is near in every moment.
Baker, Kelly J. "Painting the Gospel: Henry Ossawa Tanner’s The Annunciation and
Nicodemus.” Between the Text and the Canvas.: 188.
Craft, Jennifer Allen. Placemaking and the Arts: Cultivating the Christian Life. InterVarsity
Press, 2018.
Dyrness, William A. Visual Faith : Art, Theology, and Worship in Dialogue. Baker Academic,
2001.
Romaine, James. "Henry Ossawa Tanner: Painting Belief." Art and Christianity 70 (2012): 9-10.