Eenie-Meenie-Minie-MOA

Never in my college career have I been able to go to a museum for class. Never, that is, until this week. Tuesday morning I went with my Humanities class to BYU's Museum of Art. A girl in my class works at the museum, so she gave us a sweet tour of the new Turning Point exhibit. We learned about some modern art, conceptual art, and contemporary art. Today in my Humanities class our professor told us that one of the pieces we looked at (four huge open-ended boxes lined up in a row) was worth $11 million. Whoa.

Then today my Doctrine and Covenants class met at the MOA for a tour from the Curator of Religious Art. She and my D&C professor have co-authored a book, "Beholding Salvation: The Life of Christ in Word and Image." She told us about some of the pieces of religious art BYU has. We discussed some symbolism and its importance. We also learned some of the background of the pieces. Two of my favorites were The Crucifixion triptych by Bernard Sleigh, and Carl Bloch's "Christ Healing the Sick at Bethesda.

The Crucifixion - A Triptych, Bernard Sleigh (1906)

This one was originally an altarpiece commissioned for London's Holloway Prison. One of the inscriptions above the Savior's head reads: "The Lord Hath Laid On Him the Iniquity of Us All." How pertinent for those who would be seeing it. For all of us, really.

I'd seen this painting before, but I hadn't noticed a couple of things:

-the vines running along the sides of the cross, looking forward to both Christ's Resurrection as well as the resurrection and redemption from sin that he makes possible for all of us.

-the cross of the Savior bridges the gap between heaven and earth. Christ is our Advocate with the Father.

Christ Healing the Sick at Bethesda, Carl Bloch, 1883

I was shocked when I first saw this painting in our museum. I had seen plenty of prints of it before, but the original is huge. Our professor pointed out a good introspective question that this painting offers as you look at it basically life-size. As you stand in front of it, the edges of the pool can be extended out into the museum room, and you find yourself a character in the scene. That brings up the question of how we would react--how we do react to the miracles we see around us every single day. Are we oblivious, ignorant, in awe, grateful?

Props to BYU's MOA for the booklet they put online for their "Beholding Salvation: Images of Christ" exhibit last year, from with these images are taken.

Props to Andy for this post's title.