Impressionism and Early Christianity

How are impressionist painters like the early Christians?

And, quite pragmatically, the quesstion you may be asking yourseld is - do we care?

We do , or should care, and here is why.

John 1 : 1

The Word. Philosophers used the word logos for the divine reason that orders the universe. Jesus is the creator of the universe, our literal reason for being. He is also our sacrice, enabling us to have a relationship with God. John is teeling us in this verse that the Word, the reason for being was made flesh and that as beliveres we know the fullness of God’s revelation through Him. To tkae that a step furthur, the root word of logos , is the same root of “ologies”. So biology, we might say is the study of life, but Jesus is the Logos, the Reason for that life. Thus, the mroe we learn about Hiw world, and the wonderful things he has created, the more we are able to marvel at the Wisdome ad Beauty of God. And that includes the fine arts, they are an area of study under the Lorship of Christ.

Josiah, Bella and I are working our way through a History of Classical Music class. The instuctor mentioned a composser that was classed an impressionist, although he vehemitly denied the charge. I dont know much about classical music, but I do know a bit about Impressionism in general, and Monet in particular. Our instuctor, laughing, mentioned how this classcial composer was offended to be luped together with the impressionist painters, and that led my train of thought. Impressionism, was originally considered an inult, but iun modern times we can hardly talk of Monet or Renoir without mentioning this art movement. Similarly, early Christians were first called Christians as an insult, but in modern times we have embraced this label with gusto. So, i began wondering- how far can we extend this analogy?

In Will and Randy’s dialog on Saturday , Randy asked what culture was, and will gave a wonderful illustration about it being like the water that surrounds a fish, that we grow up in it, but have a hard time defining our own culture until we are faced with a culture diffrent from our own.

Impressionists were group of painters in the 1800s, primarily based in France . Their art was largely concerned with capturing the impression of a scene, specifically the changing light and colors of a scene. They emphasized light and color rather than precise detail as a detail of the realism movement. The new their technology of their day was the tube of paint, this enabeld them to paint out of doors rather than in their studios. This reminded me of the way that Roman roads helped ease the spread of Christianity, and I wondered if there were other similaries we caould draw between the two groups.

Impressioniss challenged the establishment art class in France. They were not welocmed into the art scene of their day, anmd eventually had to create their own gallery in order to display their works. Early Christians challenged the Jewish Pharisees on one side, claiming among other things that Jesus was Divine, they also clashed with pagan Roman culture on the other side, not sacrificing to the idols, or participating in the riotous livign common in that day and age.

Impressionists were first called impressionist in 1874. It was applied to Monet by French art critic, Louis Leroy. He was mocking Monet’s painting, “Impression, Sunrise”
(1872). The art critics’ point was that Monet’s painting was unfinished, a sketch and impression rather than a finish painting.

Early Christians were first called Christians in Antioch during the first century around AD 40-50. we see this in Acts 11 verse 26. This was a derisive label gentiles used to describe followers of Christ. It was not a name the early believers would have used for themselves rather they would have used the term “the way”. They, this small group that was far from established, was often the subject of mockery from the culture around them.

Impressionist paintings emphasize beauty and the ordinary every day. They captured fleeting moments, and featured subjects their contimporaries overlooked and ignored. Early Christians emphasized following Christ daily rather than an ostinaious show of religion. The model prayer that Jesus gave them instucted them to acknowleget that the provision for their daily needs came from God. We are called to practice daily self denial. We are to embrace the daily call of obedience. We are called tro daily surrender our pride, adn surrender to God. We are to daily truswt the Holy Spirit to teach us. We are daily to read, meditate, and study God’s word, and to pray.

Impressionists paintings captured a breathaking array of change over time, in one location. Consider the many versios of Monet’s “Haystacks”, or “Japenese Bridge”.

Early Christians recognized Jesus, as the light of the world and the light and life of mankind. ( John 8:12 ) “Again, Jesus spoke to them saying ‘I AM the light of the world . Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness , but will have the light of life.’ This is one of the “I AM” declarations from Jesus in the gospel of John, pointign us to Jesus as both the illumination, and the runimiation of our sin. He points it out, reveals it by His light, and then takes the punishment and judgment of it on Himself.

Impressionists shared studio space to defray costs necessary to time when their work was not yet selling and basil, studio seven of the world's. Most famous painters worked on their craft long before became profitable the early church madden homes this help defray costs, while the church was just getting started. It was also safer for them to meet in Hobbs. Impressionist required community the early church live in community. They had everything in common impressionist bucks and establish art scene in France. They made their art in spite of public criticism, financial strain, and faced wholesale rejection by the public in France.

Early Christians were accused of blasphemy by the Jews on one hand and jeopardizing the entire Roman society by disturbing the pax deorum, or ‘peace with the gods’ on the other. The were persucuted, stoned, ran out of down, burned alive, devoured by lions.

Hebrews 11:32-40