RUBLYOV, Andrey - "Trinity" - c. 1411 - Tempera on panel
Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Trinity Prayer
God for us, we call You Father,
God along side us, we call You Jesus,
God within us, we call You Holy Spirit.
You are the Eternal Mystery
that enables, enfolds, and enlivens all things,
even us,
and even me.
Every name falls short of your
Goodness and Greatness.
We can only see who You are in what is.
We ask for such perfect seeing.
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be.
Amen.
Richard Rohr
Preface of Trinity Sunday
Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of thy Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech thee that thou wouldst keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see thee in thy one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer, p. 176)
As I searched for a painting for this post, I noted that many of the Trinity paintings depicted the dead Christ or the crucified Christ. I didn't want that. What's the theology there? The few that did not were, as they say, de trop, too busy, too pretty, too, too, too.... The icon is lovely.
Richard Rohr's poem from The Mercy Blog.
Image from The Web Gallery of Art.
I love Rublev's icon. It's probably the most satisfying picture of the Trinity I've seen. I've painted (or written) it once and a photo is in the right column of my blog. Trying to get the faces to look the same was difficult for me, but I like the piece anyway. After I drew the picture on the board my teacher informed me I couldn't cut off the elbow of the figure on the right (Holy Spirit) so he carved the frame out a bit so the whole elbow would fit in. I guess the Holy Spirit needs the elbow to "elbow" us into action.
ReplyDeleteAmelia, I love the icon, too, but it's used so often, and I wanted to find something different, but I found so many with the crucified or dead Christ.
ReplyDeleteI know, when I taught a class on icons, I thought I'd find something different, but I really didn't like what I found for the same reason. There are some that have the Father as a grey beard with the young Jesus in his lap and the spirit as a dove above them, but I don't like those either. I always come back to "The Hospitality of Abraham" and Rublev's is the best.
ReplyDeleteThat icon is the cornerstone of my Trinity paper. I have always loved it.
ReplyDeleteAnd you quote Richard Rohr - I love that.
Fran, now that you're an expert on the Trinity, what IS the theology behind having the dead or crucified Christ in the picture.
ReplyDeleteExpert? Far from it. This however, I will offer, having heard these things over time and not disagreeing with them, for the most part.
ReplyDeleteThe dead and/or crucified Christ is as essential to the whole mix as the resurrected Christ. While it shouldn't be the only image and dwelled up on it shouldn't be ignored either.
While this is not really a trinitarian image, a thought about the crucified Christ on the cross (which has been perverted over time to focus simply on death, blood, gore etc) is that Jesus reigns from the Cross, wounds and all. Add to that his open arms - the ultimate sign of welcome and vulnerability. (I suddenly see an anti- image of a Jesus with his arms crossed and looking rather huffy! That would never do, would it?)
I don't think I really answered your question but that is what I have at this early hour!
Fran, thanks. You've given me food for thought.
ReplyDelete