Because of the amazing feeling of art and the enlightenment which made the painters create these amazing pictures, people can now see the Biblical episodes with their own eyes, as if they were witnessing these events themselves. Owing to expressivity and spirituality, the paintings can open people’s eyes on the greatest Biblical episodes. Yet only looking very closely at these pictures, one can see the ideas which these pictures convey. Interpreting the details of the picture, it will be possible to see what the manuscript painters seized, and the issues which they omitted.
It is absolutely incredible that the author made the characters of the Biblical story look completely alive. It seems that they are going to jump off the picture and start celebrating the Lords’ arrival in Jerusalem. The author made a miracle of a work to make people believe in the reality of the action in the picture.
Placing Christ into the center of the picture, the author made Him the most important figure in the procession. The crowd which is honoring Him is standing a bit aside; the artist placed them in the rear, emphasizing their humbleness and their worshipping of Christ. However, that does not mean that the grandeur of the procession borders with solemnity – on the contrary, people are obviously happy, looking out of their windows on Jesus passing the gates of Jerusalem on His donkey.
In spite of the fact that a picture can only grasp a certain moment, freezing any motions and gestures, the artist managed to depict the lively procession in such a way that it seems completely alive. Just look at the people’s faces – it seems that they will start praising the Lord in a moment! The action which has been described in the Bible is conveyed completely, with every single element of the picture reminding of the Biblical words.
No matter how masterfully a painting can be done, everything will be ruined once an artist puts the wrong expressions on people’s faces. Although this happens not quite often, there are still a lot of examples of paintings which picture men and women with their gestures and facial expressions completely unsuitable for the event. However, in this case every single line drawn by the artist emphasized the atmosphere of the Jerusalem at the time of Christ Arrival.
The smiles on people’s faces and their eyes full of trust and belief are the detail which is brought right from the pages of the Book of Books. It seems that the people holding palm leaves in their hands are going to say “Hosanna!” as soon as you turn your back on the painting. The impression which the realism of the picture leaves is amazing.
However, the people following Jesus do not seem to be shouting anything as it was said in the Gospel according to Matthew:
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21: 6)
There is no need saying that the author tried to make people as triumphal and happy as possible. Yet there is no laughter in the picture, for the event is very solemn and important – it would rather bring tears than smiles to people’s faces. Every single person in Jerusalem feels blessed now, for they have learned about the Kingdom of Truth, and they are willing to join the philosophy of Jesus.
The author of the painting has depicted Jesus as the man with justice and love for people in his heart; the gesture which Jesus makes with His hand is the blessing to all of the Jerusalem people, from a newborn baby to the procurator. The clear and soft features of His face persuade people that Lord will take care of His children and that not a single person on the Earth will be forgotten or forsaken.
One of the most important things about the painting is the balance of actions and emotions. With help of the latter the author of the painting has created the illusion of the reality which none of critics can break.
Since the background is often as important as the front scene, it would be a mistake to omit this important part of the painting. With help of the background in Jesus’s Arrival in Jerusalem, the author has shown the very spirit of the event. Without this part, the picture would have lost much.
The mild colors of the background lull the audience into a dream of the Promised Land and the Eden. The mild green and beige palette makes people tuned with the solemnity of the moment and share the happiness of the people of Jerusalem.
It cannot be denied that the painting looks incredibly realistic. It seems that the original Bible text gives a lot of room for imagination. With the descriptions of people’s emotions and the way Jerusalem greeted Messiah, there are still very few precise pictures of the whole event, which allows artists to create images exactly the way they see the event.
The author of the painting has added certain elements to the story, making it more suitable for people’s understanding. The curious looks full of appreciation which people cast at Jesus, their gestures and their movements are all the creation of the artist, for Bible tells only the facts of Jesus’s Arrival. However, it must be admitted that the artist with his amazing imagination did a perfect job, for the picture is both realistic and possessing the traits of a legend; it allows taking a look at what happened hundreds of years ago, and then it closes up, leaving only a brilliant painting.