Day Seventy - Visit of Nicodemus to Christ

John La Farge – 1880 – Oil on canvas – Smithsonian American Art Museum

John La Farge was born in New York City in 1835, the son of prosperous French emigres, his father having been a refugee from the ill-fated Napoleonic expedition to San Domingo. He began drawing at an early age, had intermittent instruction, and graduated from the Roman Catholic Mount St. Mary’s College in Maryland. In 1856 he went to Europe, worked briefly under the painter Thomas Couture in Paris, and travelled in northern Europe. Returning to the United States, he went to study with William Morris Hunt.

La Farge was especially known for his large murals and his stained glass designs. He discovered a method for creating opalescent glass, and had many commissions from churches and private patrons for stained glass windows. Some of the important commissions were for windows at Trinity Church, Boston; Memorial Hall at Harvard; the Church of the Incarnation and the Paulist Church, New York City. But alongside these commissions, LaFarge continued to paint and accept mural commissions. Perhaps the best known of the latter is the great apse mural of the Ascension of Christ in the Church of the Ascension in New York City, completed in 1887.

Alongside all this work, in 1880, he painted the Visit of Nicodemus to Christ. The moment I saw this painting I was struck by the similarity of style to work by Caravaggio – his figures set on a dark background lit by a single source. It is Nicodemus who is bathed in the light and central to this painting, he is in animated conversation, his hands raised in perplexity, perhaps having just uttered those words: ‘How can someone be born when they are old?’

For me, La Farge unites the prologue of John through Nicodemus’ deep conversation with Jesus and his declaration from John 8:12 ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’ It’s a tremendous skill to be able to show the Christ-light in another’s face, hands and body, and that’s what I feel La Farge has done with this painting. Jesus embodies the light that shines in the darkness, and that is reflected in Nicodemus despite his questioning and searching and perplexity, because the darkness has not overcome it, indeed he shines brighter.

A prayer for light – HelloHope.com

God, with you there is no darkness. Your character has no shadows, and you are pure and good. Yet in our broken world, we see so much darkness around us. Pain, sickness, and disease are in our community and in many of our homes.

Bring your light and restoring presence to the dark places in our lives. Bring your hope to hearts that feel defeated. Bring your love and compassion to those in pain.

Give us faith to say with the psalmist, “Lord, you light my lamp; my God illuminates my darkness.” May your light of hope shine in the darkness for families today. Show us glimpses of your presence with us and the comfort you bring.

In the busyness of today, help us to take a moment to be still and sit with you. To slow down, breathe deeply, and release our burdens to your strong hand. You are trustworthy, good, and true, and we thank you for caring for us so deeply and beautifully. Open our eyes to see you at work today. Give us your light.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Neil Chappell