The image that started it all

So, this is the image that started it all for me. I had been talking with my cousin, Anthony, about religious art for a while. He is an iconographer, and he told me all about the style of traditional icons, and why they look the way they do. He explained the method, and practice involved.

That was interesting to me, but I didn't really connect with it. Not like I do with Robert Lentz's work. This is an image of Mary Magdalene. And I was drawn to it immediately. Look at the color. Look how she's looking at you. It's emotional, but don't you want to know what it's all about? Mysterious.

The story goes that Mary Magdalene, after the Ascension, was invited to the home of Tiberius Caesar, because of her high social status. When asked about the resurrection, she used an egg to explain the story of what happened to Jesus. Caesar responded that a human could no more return from the dead, than the egg in her hand turn red. The egg turned red immediately, and is why in the Eastern Church, red eggs have been exchanged at Easter. It makes for a good image.

I also like the story of Mary Magdalene being the first person that Jesus appears to in the garden on Easter morning in Mark's Gospel. It's a powerful moment. But more about that later.

You can find Robert Lentz's images at Trinity Stores.