#roliage

[artandthebible]

David Crowned by Samuel

Artist: Claude Gellée (French, 1600-1682)

Date: 1647

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Louvre Museum, Paris, France

Samuel Anoints David

According to 1 Samuel 16, the prophet Samuel anointed David as the future king of Israel in Bethlehem, acting on God's instructions after rejecting Saul. David, the youngest son of Jesse, was chosen for his heart rather than outward appearance. This private anointing marked the beginning of the Spirit of the Lord resting upon him.

[artandthebible]

The Agony in the Garden

Artist: Garofalo (Benvenuto Tisi) (Italian, c. 1481-1559)

Date: ca. 1524-1526

Medium: Oil, originally on wood, transferred to canvas

Collection: The National Gallery, London, United Kingdom

Description

On the night before his crucifixion, Christ went to the Garden of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. He said his prayers; his disciples Peter, John and James fell asleep. Christ asked God, if possible, to spare him the destiny that awaited him. Eventually Christ accepted that God’s will must be done, and an angel came from heaven to strengthen and comfort him.

Garofalo depicts Christ at prayer while Judas, who has betrayed him, brings the Roman soldiers to arrest him. An angel appears in a burst of light in the night sky, carrying a Crucifix spouting blood into a chalice. This represents the spilling of Christ’s blood, which will turn into the wine of the Eucharist, and illustrates Christ’s prayer: ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done’ (Luke 22: 42). Christ touches his heart and gathers his cloak ready to get up and confront his destiny.