By Scott Shephard
“The Denial of St. Peter” Gerrit van Honthorst 1623 Minneapolis Institute of Art
“54 Then they seized [Jesus] and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, ‘This man also was with [Jesus].’ 57 But [Peter] denied it, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know him.’ ”
For 8 years in a row I took students to the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The fields trips started when I was teaching Advanced Placement European History. For those students we were looking to put art in the context of the history we were learning. Or maybe it was to put history into the context of the art that was being created. Art is certainly a powerful and essential part of the Human Story. Art reflects, interprets and influences human events.
Later, when I moved on to teaching photography at Lake Area Technical College, I took my students there to expose them to something other than the photos they might see and emulate on web sites like Pinterest and to help them see visual and narrative elements in paintings and sculpture. I don’t think I did a particularly good job of this but at least I tried.
Nevertheless, for many of my students, it was the first time they had ever been to an art museum. I really wanted them to have up close and personal experiences with “real” art.
One of the assignments I gave to my AP students was to pick a work they would “steal” and to explain why they would take it. In my case, before I would let them wander and discover on their own, I would lead them to this painting by the Dutch artist Gerrit van Honhorst. It is a powerful interpretation of the first denial of Christ by his disciple Peter.
Why do I like this painting? I like how a static painting can give motion and meaning to what, in words, is a powerful part of the Gospel. I also like how it draws me into this event: What would I do if I were Peter. Beyond that, I also like how the artist “frames” this story and uses light to give it power, mood and mystery.
“They” say that every picture tells a story and I guess that might be true. I would often tell my photography students that if you have to explain a photo, then the photo has failed. Is this 400 year old picture a success or failure? Does it draw your attention? Does it have meaning and power even if you didn’t know the back story?
Of course, I can’t answer those questions for you. Nor should I. Art, as “they” also say, is in the eye of the beholder.
Canon 5DIII 1/15 sec f/2.8 800 ISO