A stroll through a gallery of Martha and Mary paintings...

Martha and Mary by He Qi

My recent post, Word for the Weekend, included a contemporary rendering of this Sunday's gospel and its story of Jesus visiting his friends Mary and Martha in Bethany.

This post offers eight more contemporary paintings of the same story (and I've included the one from my previous post at the bottom).

I suggest you first take a look at the story and then spend some time with the paintings. Each one has its own take on Jesus' visit to Bethany and his stopping in to see his friends.

As you study the paintings you might ask:
   - which painting best tells the story in the gospel?
   - what do the different facial expressions reveal?
   - what does the artist's placement of the three individuals tell me?
   - who's speaking to whom?
   - who's listening to whom?
   - who's focused on whom?  and why?
   - what does each painting tell me about Jesus? about Martha? about Mary?
   - which paintings portray a scene I'd like to be part of?
   - were I to hang one of these paintings in my home,
      which one would it be - and why?

Martha and Mary by Maud Sumner

In the House of Martha and Mary by Eileen Kennedy

At the Home of Martha and Mary by Ain Vares

The Better Part by Ann Brink

Mary and Martha: Vie de Jesus MAFA

Mary and Martha by Judith Fritchman

Jesus with Mary and Martha by Adam Kissel

Martha and Mary by Maud Sumner

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