The Shepherdess is a painting done by Johann Hofner in 1866. I noticed a copy hanging in my room at the Gables Bed & Breakfast in the morning when I was getting ready for my session at the University of the Sciences. I did not notice it the first time I stayed there, Victorian art is more up my mom's alley. But this time it gave me pause.
I think it was the powder blue and red dressing on the girl. They match the colors of my high school, Father Judge. These are royal colors. The colors of the Virgin. Then I noticed she was holding a lamb. A reference to the Lamb of God? The Lord is my shepherd? Could the shepherdess be a descendant of Jesus?
Notice how comfortable the lamb looks in the girls arms. As if it's the best place it could be, even better than at her mother's side. A reference to the afterlife being better than life on earth? Finally, check out the eye contact between the mother sheep and the girl. It's as if there's an understanding that the lamb belongs with the shepherdess.
The painting reminded me of when I was making my confirmation. Father Beatty came over to the house to make sure I was prepared. Part of the process required my to affirm my faith. I almost did not make it because at one point I was required to say that I loved God above all, including my father who was sitting there by my side. I was in fifth grade. I resisted. I fought. I cried. Finally, when it came to the priest leaving, I caved. But only when my old man nodded to me (As if it were our secret to get the damn thing over with). I still regret that decision. And to this day I do not belive that God could possibly love me more than my old man. But that's religion for you.
I think it was the powder blue and red dressing on the girl. They match the colors of my high school, Father Judge. These are royal colors. The colors of the Virgin. Then I noticed she was holding a lamb. A reference to the Lamb of God? The Lord is my shepherd? Could the shepherdess be a descendant of Jesus?
Notice how comfortable the lamb looks in the girls arms. As if it's the best place it could be, even better than at her mother's side. A reference to the afterlife being better than life on earth? Finally, check out the eye contact between the mother sheep and the girl. It's as if there's an understanding that the lamb belongs with the shepherdess.
The painting reminded me of when I was making my confirmation. Father Beatty came over to the house to make sure I was prepared. Part of the process required my to affirm my faith. I almost did not make it because at one point I was required to say that I loved God above all, including my father who was sitting there by my side. I was in fifth grade. I resisted. I fought. I cried. Finally, when it came to the priest leaving, I caved. But only when my old man nodded to me (As if it were our secret to get the damn thing over with). I still regret that decision. And to this day I do not belive that God could possibly love me more than my old man. But that's religion for you.
This post really touched me for some reason. Other than the fact that I'm feeling emotionally affected by watching another episode of "Wide Angle" earlier, maybe I'm thinking about how my parents encouraged me (to put it mildly) to affirm my faith and get baptized at 14 (in my tradition you don't do that until you are "old enough" to confess your faith and make the commitment to join the church yourself). Good idea, except, well, I would challenge that 14 is old enough, at least in my case. Fortunately, I wasn't asked to make any heart-wrenching choices between God and my loved ones as you describe.
"Religion is a light in the fog," Edie Brickell