DIPTYCH: FEAST OF TABERNACLES (RIGHT PANEL)
This painting was completed December 29 – 30, 2019 and February 25 – March 24, 2020.
FEAST OF TABERNACLES
Oil on cradled canvas
4.5’ x 6’
December 29 – 30, 2019 and February 25 – March 24, 2020
A liberated Hebrew woman—she is wearing kohl and lip dye—invites the female viewer to join the company of women preparing to celebrate Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles. While the Left Panel of the diptych depicts the first miracle of Jesus, the transformation of water to wine at a wedding reception in Cana, the Right Panel depicts technically Jesus’ last miracle, the transubstantiation of bread and wine to His Body and Blood, a miracle that is performed everyday by Catholic priests celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
There are thematic differences between the Left Panel and the Right Panel. In the Left Panel Mary is the only woman present; in the Right eleven women—a Hebrew woman and ten women from different ethnic groups and historical periods in Philippine history take her place. In the Left Panel the interior is enclosed by secure walls and windows; in the Right the exterior has open structures. In the Left Panel there are two men; in the Right Jesus is the only male in the group.
Other paintings featuring Jesus with His male disciples show us the disciples waiting to be served. In this painting the women are proactive: they bring offerings and take action to make their celebration a success. While this painting was completed within the month celebrating Women’s Day, it is also a statement that Christianity could not have survived without the devotion, loyalty, contributions, and support of women, though they have been consistently downplayed in New Testament stories.
The auditory stimulus I used while painting this is https://www.youtube.com/