The woman caught in adultery by Rembrandt
Synchronic elements
Rembrandt used brighter light to emphasise Jesus as the central figure.
The brightest picture in the painting is that of Jesus and the woman caught in the act.
The look on the face of Jesus shows compassion and mercy
The posture of the woman shows shame and guilt
The Pharisees are well dressed showing their class in the society
Diachronic elements
Jesus being painted brighter than others depict Him as the one who lights the world and in Him there is no darkness, while the others are painted in dark colours, that depicts the darkness in human soul. Jeremiah 17:9-10
Critical engagement with the Painting
Positive
The painting focuses on the mercy, compassion and love of a saviour.
It also reflects the hypocritical state of mankind. It is very important to do self-examination before judging others.
The painting reflects the effect of sin, it brings a man to a level of shame and disgrace.
Negative elements
The painting did not show where Jesus was writing on the ground, which is a major part of the biblical text.
The text tells us the woman was standing in the midst, she wasn’t kneeling
The painting is showing a well-dressed woman, but if she was caught in the act, I doubt she will be well covered.
Samson and Delilah by Rubens
Synchronic elements
Samson was lulled to sleep in both the text and the painting
Diachronic elements
The bible didn’t state that Delilah was topless, that must be the painter’s imagination to show the power of the woman’s breast and sensuality.
The Bible didn’t tell us about the physical look of Samson and Delilah, but the painter presents Samson as muscular and Delilah as beautiful and seductive
The Bible didn’t tell us how the room looked like.
In the painting, armed philistines are waiting in the shadows and Samson’s hair been cut by a philistine, this wasn’t stated in the text.
A mysterious old woman sits nearby, observing the scene. This figure is not mentioned in the biblical account, this might represent Delilah in old age, showing that beauty fades with time.
Critical engagement with the Painting
The Bible focuses more on what happens to us when we stray from God’s commands, while the painter’s focus is on betrayal if you put your trust in the wrong person, and the effect of moral weakness
The Good Samaritan by Jacopo Bassano
Synchronic elements
Bassano’s painting captures some of what is in the biblical text.
The injured man was stripped of his clothing
The Samaritan has a donkey
The Samaritan had vials of oil and wine
Diachronic elements
Two dogs are shown licking what might be the wounded man’s blood.
The Levite is shown reading, a detail not found in the biblical text. Most of us are guilty of this, we pretend we are busy or preoccupied with other activities rather than help others in their hour of need.
Critical Engagement
The central scene depicts the Samaritan tending to the injured man, highlighting the importance of mercy. In contrast, the priest and Levite are shown walking away in the distance, emphasising their indifference. Bassano’s painting is a critique of the church’s failure to care for the sick and needy.
You are right to point out that when caught, sin will always bring shame and disgrace. The woman could face the crowd because of shame; therefore, this should be a lesson for all of us to refrain from sin.
Great work here, Maurice. You’ve understood the task and engaged it with vigour. Its interesting to think about whether artistic imagination can be synchronic. Delilah was told to ‘seduce’ Samson (Jdgs 16;4), so even though the Bible doesn’t give details of a sexual encounter, the element of nudity certainly forms part of the original story.
I think one of my takeaways from this exercise is that when we preach, we are often doing the same thing. With our imagination, we’re filling in details which make the story more engaging for our audience.