My favorite piece of art

I was telling a friend about my favorite piece of art today and decided it was well-past time to add it to the blog.

It is by Carl Bloch, and I was able to see the original in a traveling exhibit back in May 2010.  This is depicting a scene from the Bible - the daughter of Jarius.  This story involves a combination of miracles by the Savior, as Jarius asks Jesus to heal his dying daughter.  As they travel to Jarius' house, a sick woman in the crowd touches Jesus' cloak and is healed of her sickness, which is the first miracle.  Meanwhile, in stopping to help someone else, the daughter dies - and the painting shows where Christ is just arriving.  The mother of the girl has not yet seen him in this painting (as you can see).

The mother sits by her daughter’s bedside - and in the actual painting you can see much better the despair and anguish she is feeling; upon looking closely at the painting, you can see a tear slipping down her cheek.  She does not notice that Christ has appeared in the doorway, but as you view the painting, your eye is naturally drawn there. The sun is rising behind him, illuminating Him and foreshadowing the marvelous and miraculous event that is about to occur.

In the actual story, Jesus continues to the house and brings her back to life, or in his own words, awakens her.

This painting means a great deal to me for many reasons.

• The girl's father, who desperately seeks the solution he believes is best to save his dying daughter.  He wants her to be healed and searches for the Savior to help.  I have watched my father search for solutions to solve my problems, desperately trying to help in anyway possible, if he can't do it himself, he will look for others who can.
  
• The girl's mother, who is devastated at the possibility of losing her daughter.  She aches for her daughter's well-being, as a mother should, and wants nothing more than a restoration of health.  I have watched my mother cry on my behalf with tears as sorrowful as this mother a handful of times, as I have struggled with this silly shunt and a failed marriage, always knowing that she would lessen the pain somehow if she could.  She is a tremendous example to me - and if someone were to ask me how we are different, my response was of course, "hopefully in as few ways as possible".  She is my example and goal for motherhood, and I see her in this painting.
• The Savior, who doesn't need to be there when Jarius and his wife think he needs to be there - He comes when the time is right.  His timing is not their timing, and although sometimes he needs to help others along the way, He will be there when it matters most - and will help solve the problem in the best way.  We simply need to trust that at the right moment, He will be there to ushering in the light, as demonstrated in this painting.
  

So this is my favorite painting.  Someday when I am a mother (or perhaps when I finally move into Chad's house), I will buy a reprint of this beautiful painting and will hang it somewhere such that I can see it daily as I head out to wake and raise my children for the upcoming day, as a reminder of the kind of woman, mother, and Christian I want to be.