Caravaggio's "Jesus Calls Saints Peter and Andrew".

Today I was in Edinburgh doing important things. I had lunch with Sheila at the Queens Gallery Mews restaurant and had the best carrot soup ever, followed by a slab of millionaire shortbread with toffee a minimum of 1 cm thick. We then met up with oor Aileen for an early afternoon coffee (and for her a late lunch), and I borrowed my car back for a while!

But before that.

We visited the Queens Gallery Baroque Exhibition where I wanted to sit and gaze at Carravagio's "Jesus Calls St Peter and St Andrew". This sumptuous painting was on the news recently - as part of the Royal Collection it was assumed it was an early copy. But no - it's the original masterpiece and it has now been restored and is on view till early 2009.

The scene is from Mark's Gospel, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men". The first surprise is the artist's assumption that Peter and Andrew are middle aged while Jesus is an unbearded youth. Not sure what to make of this - I suppose I never thought about relative ages of the disciples. And if Peter's mother in law was still around, and was ill but healed by Jesus, I suppose that would suggest Peter wasn't that old, at least not as old as in this painting?

Then there's Peter's neck - strong, corded, thick, and his hands, one holding fish and the other held out in a gesture of....what? The choice is between the fish and his liveliehood, or the emtpy hands of the disciple who leves it all and follows, and finds life. Peter's hand is at the centre of the painting, and has a three dimensional effect - it is open, empty, the gesture of a reasonable man questioning an unreasonable command. Andrew's hand is pointed at himself as if to say, Who? Me? You serious? And Jesus hands point to the future offstage, a gesture towards the unknown but travelling in the direction he points.

The contrast of the dark background in the top half of the painting and the shadow of light coming from the direction Jesus points, gives the painting a dramatic effect - not least because the only light part of the background is also on the shadow side of the figures. Not sure what that means - even if it means anything, other than that in the sharp crisis of decision, nothing is certain, obvious or predictable. Peter and Andrew are faced with an outrageous lack of options- fish or follow, stay or go, the safety of status quo or the risk of everything. Incredulity, confusion and no time to think it through; sometimes the greatest opportunities come once if at all.

What I can't easily convey, and what is lost in any print, scan or e-image of this painting, is the quality of light that spills from the faces, reflecting the mystery of revelation. You have to see it, sit before it, gaze at it, and feel the theologically charged impact of colour. The supernatural light is given added force by the white sash across Jesus shoulder and chest, reflected on Andrew's face, and creating an aura of concentrated intensity on each of the faces.

If I'd gone to Edinburgh, got off the train, walked to Holyroodhouse, sat for 15 minutes before this painting and then come home - it would have been more than worth it. My ticket allows me to have a years free entry to the Queen's Gallery - I'll be back every time I'm in Edinburgh. As a commentary on one of my favourite Gospel stories, it beats any amount of scholarly words.

Comments

[Endlessly Restless]

What a fascinating insight! Looking closer I'm drawn to Jesus pointing hand - it seems to be begging a question rather than issuing an instruction (I think?. Andrew's hand and eyes seem to be giving contradictory information - to follow the head or the heart?

[andy jones]

Maybe the choice for Peter continued throughout his life into old age - as it does for all of us: whether to follow into the unknown future beyond the frame, and what to retain or hold back - what to do with the skills and means of production that lie within our grasp?

Good art always poses the questions rather than answering them, doesn't it?

[Jim Gordon]

Thanks for these first two comments - I'm interested in more observations from others. Be interesting to go back to the text and re-read it in the light of OUR perceptions and insights based on CARAVAGGIO'S painting. An important exercise in alternative perspectives, and without making any of them definitive. Other comments please?

[brodie]

Endlessly Restless - If the hand of Jesus was pointing up the way then it would be clear that his fingers are making the traditions sign of the trinity. That his hand appears to be pointing does not change the "meaning" of his hand shape.

Jim - Light appears to be coming from two directions. That is the face of Jesus and the robe on Peter are lit from the left, but yes there is a light off canvas to the lower right as well. As a former youth pastor the ages of the disciples is something I've thought about (it's the kind of thing we youth pastors like to think about). I concluded that there's reasonable evidence to suggest most, if not all the disciples were what we would class today as teens.

[brodie]

Endlessly Restless - I think I might change me mind on what I just said as in the sign of the trinity there would be two fingers and thumb pointing and in the above painting there is only one finger pointing.

[angela almond]

Thank you SO much for this post.
One day I shall manage to get to Scotland to see it for myself I hope!

[new balance]

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today .