Some of you Artisan readers might find JadedCM's January 08, 2006 blog interesting. I found the comments people added about images in their homes growing up especially interesting.
It made me reflect alittle. My parents and grandparents were very Protestant: Presbyterian from Reformed, Lutheran and Methodist backgrounds and very involved in their churches. They had almost no religious images around the house that I remember. I don't remember any artwork to speak of in our home or my grandparents' homes besides a rather dark oil painting my uncle did and a nice watercolor that he painted of our farm. My grandparents had huge intimidating portraits of my great - grandparents staring down at us and an small old family photo of their children. One grandmother framed a magazine portrait of a little girl. My other grandmother had a similar framed magazine picture of a Victorian mother carrying a baby up the stairs, both in old guilded frames. They're hanging on our stairway. One grandfather had one of his trophy deers mounted. We used the hoofs to hang hats and coats on. A hand embroidered sampler of the "Guest's Prayer" hung over the guest bed.
When George's folks passed away (they were artists from Manhattan and a bit Bohemian) he brought home alot of their work. His mom was Russian Orthodox turned Episcopalian. She went off to NYC by herself as a young adult, loved deep sea fishing, loved our kids and the kids she taught and at some point was pretty involved at her church. We have at least one Russian Orthodox icon -type picture from her mom's. His dad grew up Lutheran turned agnostic, I think. He didn't think of himself as religious at all.
The thing of it is, when we hung their artwork we were both facinated by all the religious imagery. So now my house is filled (a couple of my kids would say "cluttered") with a fair amount of religious artwork! (Not all of it's G-rated either...)
I was thrilled to find a tile of Christ the shepherd with a lamb in his arms that Grandma made and tucked away. I like the face. Haven't hung it up, yet.
My kids will remember renovation, lath, drywall dust and the smell of paint but I wonder what my grandchildren will remember?
If you grew up in a Christian home (or not), what do you remember about the artwork and other things hanging around your house? How did they influence you?
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I've been amazed at how much iconography has impacted Abel already, at only 18 months of age. On the wall next to his changing table is a standard evangelical image, colored pencil, of Jesus with some children. We often point it out when we change his diaper.
ReplyDeleteWe were very surprised one night at church, then, when he pointed to an Orthodox icon of Jesus and said, "Ees? Ees?" (his word for Jesus at the time). It looked nothing like the picture by his changing table.
A month or so later, we were eating supper, and he looked up at a very high shelf, probably ten feet up, saw an icon we have there (a different one), and said "Jesus!" His enunciation had improved by this point.
The most recent "Jesus moment" was a little weird. Abel saw a Willow Tree figurine of a pregnant woman, a gift my mom gave Tracey when Tracey was pregnant. He pulled it off the dresser, brought it to his mama, and said (you guessed it), "Jesus." This was at the end of the Advent season, so I dunno. I can't imagine how he would have made that connection.
Anyway, sorry to write a book, but I just mean to say that we are glad Abel has noticed these images.
Great stories! Thanks, you guys!
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