my Lord and my God!

“Angels dance only with You, Beloved and only before You do I bow in adoration. You may accept me or not but I will be at your feet forever.” — Rumi

In Gethsemane the holiest of all petitioners prayed three times that a certain cup might pass from Him. It did not.

"…amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others." - #PopeFrancis

Saint John the Baptist

Artist: Rafał Hadziewicz (Polish, 1803-1883)

Date: 1831-1834

Place of Creation: Rome, Italy

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Collection: National Museum in Kielce, Poland

Description

After studying in Warsaw, Dresden and Paris in 1831, Rafał Hadziewicz left for Italy, where he not only studied in Rome, but also travelled extensively, which clearly developed his artistic sensitivity. He toured and painted. Fascinated by the Italian masters of the Renaissance, he was inspired by their work, imitating the best models. St. John the Baptist from the Kielce museum is a copy of a work that was painted in 1562 by the excellent Venetian colourist Paolo Veronese. Hadziewicz had the opportunity to admire the impressive painting in the Borghese Gallery in Rome, where he spent countless hours filled with delight and work. His copy was much smaller, while remaining an exact reproduction of the extraordinary original.

The hero of the painting - St. John the Baptist is one of the most popular saints in Christianity. This hermit and prophet announcing the arrival of the Savior directly preceded his activity. He was the son of the priest Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth, who also came from a priestly family - Mary's cousin. As such, he was related to Jesus himself. Only six months older than him, according to tradition he spent time with him in childhood, which was reflected in many paintings. John's life ended as quickly as Jesus'. Imprisoned in the fortress of Machaerus on the Dead Sea by order of the tetrarch Herod Antipas, he died in prison, beheaded at the request of Salome - the daughter of Herod's lover and sister-in-law - Herodias.