Image of the Week: Jeremiah (ver. 2)
© D. Yael Bernhard
Jeremiah did not have an easy life. He is believed to have lived from approximately 650 to 570 BCE. As a young prophet, he was commanded to foretell the coming destruction of Jerusalem due to the breaking of Israel's covenant with God, and their inexorable return to worshipping false idols. Jeremiah's message was so unpopular, he was beaten and imprisoned. Yet he could not contain the words that God put in his heart, for they burned his insides if he tried to hold them in.
This painting is the image for July in my calendar The Jewish Eye 5781/2021 Calendar of Art. Some of you may recall I posted a different painting titled "Jeremiah" back in May. That image was commissioned by a religious publisher, illustrating a different passage from the Book of Jeremiah. The image you see here shows the famous passage where God places words directly in the young prophet's mouth, commanding him to stand up and speak.
Artists have depicted Jeremiah throughout the centuries, including Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and many others. After learning to sing this passage in Haftarah tropes, I felt moved to create my own version. Painting this picture was as difficult as its subject, yet I felt compelled to do it. As if ordered by my own mysterious guidance, I struggled to forge an image of dark and turbulent beauty. A limited palette of stormy colors was a must – yet I wanted that vibrant ultramarine blue to shine through. The prophet surrenders to God by standing strong, palms out in a receptive state. The seven-branched menorah of ancient Israel is split on either side of him. His feet are planted in the foundation of Jerusalem, doomed to fall but destined to be rebuilt again.
As the artists who came before me portrayed Jeremiah in the style of their times, I wanted to build my version on the foundation of early modern art. The Post-Impressionists of a century ago brought numerous influences into their art. Now in turn, that fusion of influences (plus others, such as my deep dive into African culture) informs the broken, transparent space and discordant colors of mine. I wrestled with this piece for weeks, experimenting with different ways of mark-making, trying to bring every shape, every symbol, every color relationship into balance. At times I felt lost in a maze of considerations. That was when I took Jeremiah himself as a metaphor of perseverance. The burning Jeremiah felt of unexpressed ideas is so familiar to me. It's both a blessing and a curse – for which I'm grateful.
The Jewish Eye 5781/2021 Calendar of Art is available in my webstore ($18 including shipping) and on Amazon ($18 prime).
A good week to all! And to all my Jewish readers, Shana Tova U'metukah – a good and sweet new year – and Gmar Chatimah Tova – may you be inscribed in the Book of Life for good.
D Yael Bernhard