Struck by a rock
Follow Dolène, click on the image to see the video, Christ from Chagall
Of all the works that I saw on this evening in May, whether they were full in colors, in complexity, in symbolism, it was in front of a monochrome stone that my heart was uplifted.
Chagall. The impression I had of this artist, a contemporary of Picasso, boiled down to color and eccentricity. I then took advantage of the largest exhibition ever devoted to Marc Chagall in Canada, presented at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, to discover this Russian painter and printmaker of Jewish origin.
From room to room, we could appreciate the richness and diversity of his creations.
Splendid: I loved the sight of it, everything attracted me!
Suddenly, it’s as if my shoes became glued to the floor in front of a carved Rognes stone 52 cm high. I was touched, moved by Christ.
Was it the disarming simplicity of the work, the peace emanating from the faces despite the pain, the moment of deep communion, the instant before experiencing the loneliness of the cross, or the selfless gift of His whole being, laid bare, that overwhelmed me? I haven't found the answer to that question yet.
In art, interpretation is allowed. The artist opens up and offers a key for interpretation, but the viewer must appropriate the work, let himself be imprinted, let himself be touched.
Contemplation is like being absorbed in a careful observation: moving forward in order to grasp the details, stepping back to see the whole, looking from different angles or sitting down and staring, but in any case, the important thing is to let yourself be moved from the inside.
I suggest that you come with me and contemplate Christ.
Photo taken in a booklet during an on-site visit of Chagall exposition: Colour and Music at the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal
"THE ENCOUNTER"
We have as an interpretation key, a title: Christ
But there is a second character.
Who is he?
On the way to the cross, Jesus meets several people: his mother, the women of Jerusalem, Simon of Cyrene, the crowd that follows him.
What if it was me? What if it was each of us?
The Rognes stone seems porous and full of roughness. It leaves an impression of raw nature, of fragility, of authenticity. Is it a tear shed in the carved stone? An outstretched arm to support the weight of the cross? Does the head bend over this heart that has loved us so much, until it stops beating, or is it a drop of blood pearling on Christ's forehead? A word of comfort exchanged in a whisper?
We can certainly perceive that time has stood still, the time to contemplate eternity!
Would Chagall have been inspired by this passage from Isaiah:
“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering. Yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”(Is 53, 4-5)
In these days when we are reliving the last moments of Christ, may we allow our hearts to contemplate this face which has borne all our sufferings in advance.
Everything is accomplished, only confidence in the promise remains in his eyes.
For in a few days, it will be a sublime moment of resurrection: the stone will be moved!
