7

 

Generally I don't bother going back to look at earlier blogposts, and I'm not going to this morning; but, clearing my desktop of old images that clutter it up quickly, I came across this painting by Peter Paul Reubens, that I posted last week in commenting on the gospel for yesterday, Lent 5C. The painting is extraordinary, and I decided to look at it a bit more before sweeping it into the Trash bin.

The painting visualizes the story at John 12:1-8, Mary anointing Jesus' feet with expensive perfume while Jesus and his friends are having supper at her home with Martha and Lazarus. It's intriguing to speculate about the home: is it some sort of allusion to a convent of virgin sisters, are the sisters widowed, are the three siblings orphaned and living in the house of their parents that now belongs to Lazarus as heir? Mary seems quite independent, maybe she's the eldest and, with Martha, raising Lazarus, whom I take to be a teenager, maybe an image of the same boy whom Jesus raised from death in Secret Mark.

Anyway, the painting. Who are the figures meant to represent? Jesus is obvious, eh? And Mary at Jesus' feet. That's Judas Iscariot at the left, whom Jesus is chastising. 

I can only count eight men whom I'd presume to be disciples, six at table between Jesus and Judas. Who's the chubby guy in the center? How about the others at table with Jesus and Judas? This is John's gospel, so maybe Andrew, Philip, Peter and Nathanael? 

Who's the old guy behind Judas Iscariot who looks to be adjusting his spectacles, but too much of an anachronism to be that? I'm not buying him as Peter. 

In chapter one, John names Jesus' disciples as Andrew, Philip, Simon Peter and Nathanael; but actually, this story just says that the dinner was given in honor of Jesus, it does not say his disciples were invited, maybe Mary, Martha and Lazarus just invited their own friends and neighbors; although if Judas Iscariot was there it seems reasonable that at least Peter and others would have been as well.

So, I give up about the six unidentified men at table with Jesus and Judas.

How about the people standing in the background? Again, the old man, IDK. But next to him, I'm naming the pretty young woman next to the old guy, the woman lifting the basket, as Martha. To our left in the corner, Martha's right lifting a plate, a servant, maybe doulos, a slave (f. doula?). 

The boy against Martha's left arm, Lazarus, looking down at Judas Iscariot as Jesus corrects him in favor of Lazarus' older sister Mary. 

Behind Lazarus, with the huge serving container, doulos, another slave.

+++++++

That was fun. Have at it yourself. This would have been posted earlier, but I got distracted by a large vessel entering the Bay at the Pass, and waiting outside on 7H porch to see whether the craft would go to Eastern Shipbuilding or come on round in front of us, heading for West Terminal. When they turned to come this way, Linda read Seven Seas on the bow, I looked it up and identified as arriving to load spools. 502x94 

but doesn't look that long to me, remembering that my destroyer USS CORRY DD-817 was only 390x40 and a helluva lot more scary than this ship.

7, the vessel, was due in yesterday, maybe delayed by weather, and is scheduled to be in port several days.

Anyway, Monday, Apr 7, baruch ata adonai eloheinu, melek ha-olam, blessed are you, Lord God, king of the universe.

T89&c