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The Vision After the Sermon (Jacob wrestling with the Angel),
Paul Gauguin, 1888, Scottish National Gallery.
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I asked my trusty assistant, Sandy Quang, to fill in for me today:
I recently watched a documentary about Oswald Chambers. Chambers was essentially
Jacob from Genesis 32-22-32. Chambers had experienced failure in
his career as an artist, and one night he went alone to pray in a cave. Like
Jacob, Chambers wrestled with God. The moment they went to pray and wrestle
with God was the moment of their transition. Following the path of God and following
their desire’s yielded different results. Following their own desires had left
them cornered, but prayer allowed them to have a change of heart.
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Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, Gustave Doré, 1855, wood engraving.
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As an art historian, I often see images of Jacob wrestling with an
angel and not a man. The first painting that comes to mind is Paul Gauguin’s vibrant
“Vision after the Sermon”, and the second is a solemn engraving by Gustave Doré entitled “Jacob Wrestling with the Angel”. Gauguin’s painting is brightly
colored, depicted as a spectacle. Breton village women are gathered
watching the struggle. As for Doré the story is depicted as a personal
struggle on a cliff, heightening the sense of danger that comes with the
struggle. Doré seems to be closer to the truth in his depiction: the quietness
of the surrounding in which one ought to wrestle with God. Despite the
different portrayal of the subjects, the story of struggle and change rings
true. For Jacob, his wrestle with God resulted in a new name, Israel. For
Chambers, his wrestle with God resulted in a new career path.
(Sandy Quang)
Join me in
October, 2013 at Lakewatch Manor—which is selling out fast—or let me know if
you’re interested in painting with me in 2014. Click here for
more information on my Maine workshops!
