The main visual center of the Keeper of the Threshold is the man sitting at the center of the image. This man has a well defined body contour and color that stick out from the rest of the piece. Clearly, this man is the actual keeper of the threshold. A “threshold” is a dividing line between two places, a passing point required to cross from one side to the other. The figure in The Keeper of the Threshold possesses a sense of liminality, as he is sitting directly ON the threshold. The slab of stone he is sitting on is clearly the crossing point between some realm to another religious representation, a representation that is smoky and mysterious. We do not clearly know what lies beyond the boarders of the threshold, however, we know it is much different than what is depicted before the threshold.
Additionally, each item that the man interacts with holds some sort of religious or spiritual purpose. First and foremost, it is clear that the man has a Bindi at the center of his forehead. Bindi’s are religious symbols for the expression of the “third eye” and represent the chaos of the cosmos and greater universe. This Bindi links with the moon behind the figure, as the moon in many cultures represents cycles of unending change. The figure holds two key religious artifacts, first a Kris in his right hand, and incense in his left. The Kris is a dagger that holds special and supernatural abilities used to fend off spirits, and has been known to endow the holder with legendary abilities in different folk tails. Incense, on the other hand, is typically burned for purification purposes. It may be necessary to purify the traveler, or to constantly purify the threshold itself.
The image also recalls imagery of Pagan and Gnostic religions, as the man is sitting upon a serpent. Serpents represent wisdom and hidden knowledge, a form of esotericism. This may be a warning not to pass the threshold, or a promise of the revelation of hidden knowledge. Consequently, the man is also sitting upon a slab of stone that has unintelligible characters imprinted upon it. This most likely is another representation of hidden knowledge or a dead language, and can not ultimately be perceived or decoded by the viewer. This gives the painting another form of mysticism.
Elihu Vedder’s painting is a representation of a transitional point in time that is guarded closely by a figure that possesses hidden and secretive knowledge about the next “transitional” zone. This can be seen through the religious imagery employed by the artist, as well as the secretive and cloudy mystique of the painting itself.
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