Tissot

I've always loved the arts. Performing theater in high school, attending live symphony concerts, and basking in the art exhibits at BYU when I have the opportunity are some of my favorite memories. Thus it's no surprise one of my favorite times of the week is Picture Study time. I gather 6-8 works by a particular artist and we study one a week. I think we will study James Tissot next.

I first learned about Tissot at Education Week in 2010 when BYU had an exhibit of his religious works. Here is an extract from my journal about what I learned from that time:
"Tissot is an 19th century artist who never achieved great status, especially among the art movement. He grew up well off and was a very worldy, materialistic person. He had a relationship with a young woman who eventually died of consumption. In his grief he went to a a church. While there, he saw in his mind a vision of a grief-stricken couple who is surrounded by rubble. They are clearly not alright and in need of support. The Savior comes and sits by them and comforts them. After that epiphany, Tissot painted only to glorify God and he turned his life around. He painted scenes from Christ's life and printed the Tissot Bible that contained prints of his works...Most of all, I love his passion and testimony."

Clearly, I love this conversion story. But I also love the beautiful watercolors that have come from it. Sometimes I can tell a Tissot just from the clothing in his works. The beautiful fabrics and patterns he paints are a relic from his earlier, worldlier days. He visited the Holy Land twice in order to portray the scenes accurately.

Healing of the Lepers at Capernaum


Jesus Sits by the Seashore and preaches


What Our Lord Saw From the Cross


Christ on the Mountain


One of the works at the Life of Christ exhibit at BYU was "Massacre of the Innocents." It depicts Herod's soldiers killing the young baby boys in order to kill the next king, Jesus. It is a truly gory work that depicts bloody babies being hurled out a window, landing in a tree, and dozens of bloody children in a heap on the ground. It was shocking. I was truly overwhelmed with disgust of the subject matter and of how it was portrayed. Truthfully, I was disturbed. While the rest of the exhibit was testimony building and lovely, I couldn't get this one work out of my mind. Here it is. And keep in mind a copy on the internet does not do it justice (you may want to search "James Tissot Massacre of the Innocent"s on Google Images to see a larger picture).

This painting churned in my mind and I couldn't stop mulling over how depicting this scene could in any way point someone towards knowing Christ, except I suppose for showing a scene from his life. Then slowly, slowly, the pieces came together. The tree. The blood. The atrocities committed. Oh how could I not have seen? The precious babies spilling blood for Jesus, who will one day sacrifice his blood for them. The bloody children in the tree, foreshadowing the Savior's future atonement on his own tree. All that gore, just as Christ's blood will atone for the acts committed against the innocent. And the blood that must stand as a witness against Herod.

Now I can see this work, and I still wince. But I wince knowing that Christ has overcome all, even my own sins, the sins committed against me, and for the world.