Image of the Week: Isaiah & the Seraph
© D. Yael Bernhard
When I think of the Book of Isaiah from the Bible, words like "mysterious," "numinous," and "foreboding" come to mind. The prophet Isaiah exists as both a historical and mythical figure. His teachings seem relevant both in his time and ours – and those in between, as many Christians have believed for centuries that his writings foretold the coming of Christ. From a historical perspective, Isaiah is believed to have been not one but two people, who lived in the 6th and 8th centuries BCE.
The writings of Isaiah focus on righteousness in the face of conquest and corruption; on the plight of the underprivileged; on God's covenant with the people of Israel and the destiny of their sacred city, Jerusalem – and more. Erudite and outspoken, the prophet was part spiritual forecaster, part political analyst. The language of Isaiah reads like stern, evocative poetry, and for me, speaks of timeless truths – such as this passage from the first chapter, verse 18:
Be your sins like crimson,
They can turn snow-white;
Be they red as dyed wool,
They can become like fleece.
What inspires me most is the story of how Isaiah became a prophet to begin with. In Chapter 6, he declares himself unfit as divine emissary, for his language – and that of his people – is impure. Then a six-winged seraph, the mythical angelic creature that hails from God's altar – flies down and touches a hot coal to Isaiah's lips, instantly purifying his words. Isaiah then answers God's call with the famous phrase "hineni – here I am – send me!" These words have resounded throughout the ages (Leonard Cohen's song "You Want It Darker" comes to mind).
Though refraining from lashon rah (bad language) is not one of the Ten Commandments, this passage of Isaiah is the Haftarah reading paired with the Torah portion containing the Ten Commandments. This is no accident, as the imperative to use language consciously and constructively is a common theme in Jewish tradition. It's a lifelong pursuit, as we humans do not have the good fortune, as Isaiah did, to have our speech rendered flawless by a single touch of coal to our lips.
The story of Isaiah & the seraph has haunted me for decades, and has inspired three previous paintings:
I keep trying the subjects at different angles – full front, profile, the seraph now above, now beside the prophet. For the upper left version, I laid down a collage of textured rice papers as a painting surface, to create a quilt-like effect. I tried different palettes, too. In this new version, I chose a square canvas and turned it 45º to make a diamond-shaped composition, with the upper spiritual and lower worldly realms interacting as overlapping fields of color. Isaiah gestures toward heaven from the white buildings of Jerusalem, with the ancient city's roots reaching deep into the earth of Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel). Some of these roots are blue, symbolizing their association with Jewish tradition as well as the union of heaven and earth – a theme I'd like to explore further. Inside the prophet's flowing shawl are the clustered communities of later centuries – European villages built of wood.
Turning the canvas this way enabled me to design the seraph as a vertical axis – with the upper and lower wings crossing like the double helix of DNA, symbolizing the indelible nature of Isaiah in our historical "genes." The middle wings reach sideways along an invisible horizontal axis, and the lower wingtips form tongs holding the coal from the divine altar. I love exploring these geometries, and strive to bring a sense of "visual physics" into the composition that fits the subject – for not only does the story speak to our relation to the divine, but to the divine nature of language. It is by the intangible power of words – Let there be light – that Creation itself begins with the very first passage of Genesis. This is the kernel of light that Isaiah has carried forward, though words, over nine and twenty centuries.
Thus said the Eternal:
Heaven is My throne
And the earth is My footstool:
Where could you build a house for Me,
What place could serve as My abode?
– Isaiah 66:1-2
Isaiah & the Seraph illustrates the month of February in The Jewish Eye 5783/ 2023 Calendar of Art – available in my webstore or on Amazon. Rosh Hashanah is just four weeks away! I hope you'll consider purchasing a calendar for yourself, or as a gift for someone you know who loves art.
A good week to all!
D Yael Bernhard
http://dyaelbernhard.com
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