Mironov, Andrei - VM - Patrick van der Vorst

Andrei Mironov: Healing of the Blind Man

Being Cured from Blindness

by Patrick van der Vorst

Jesus and his disciples came to Bethsaida, and some people brought to him a blind man whom they begged him to touch. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Then putting spittle on his eyes and laying his hands on him, he asked, 'Can you see anything?' The man, who was beginning to see, replied, 'I can see people; they look like trees to me, but they are walking about.' Then he laid his hands on the man's eyes again and he saw clearly; he was cured, and he could see everything plainly and distinctly. And Jesus sent him home, saying, 'Do not even go into the village.' Mark 8:22-26

Being self-educated in painting, Mironov developed his own, highly classical style of painting religious subjects such as the artwork we are looking at today. The vertically elongated canvas adds to the slight weirdness of the painting when we look at it. Light is emanating from Christ and shining upon the blind man's face. Jesus is about to touch the blind man's eyes. The blind man's unusual facial expression reveals expectation mixed with slight nervousness for what is about to happen. Christ's right hand and the blind man's left hand express the same gesture of gentleness, both are united in the very moment.

It is that hand which gets described in the start of our Gospel passage of today: 'He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.' This is a kind, gentle act of love which Jesus is bestowing upon the blind man before the miracle happens. Jesus did not have to do this. He could have healed the man, there and then, where he was. However, Jesus chose to spend some time alone with the man in a very caring way. Jesus, fully human and divine in his nature, sought to be alone with this man. Some of the most beautiful, intense and faith-growing times in our life will happen when we are completely alone with God, where He can cure us from our own blindness.

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Andrei Miranov: Healing of the Blind Man, 2019, oil on canvas, 23.6 x 11.8 cm.

Andrei Mironov (b. 1975) was born in Ryazan, Russia. His paintings and prints focus on religious themes that portray his Christian beliefs and ideals. His oil paintings of biblical scenes are reminiscent of the artist Caravaggio with their dramatic lighting and detailed portraits. Self-educated in painting, Mironov has worked as a portraitist since 2005. The artist defines Christianity as “the main theme of his works”. His paintings are found in private collections, in the Kashira local museum, in the Monastery of Our Lady of Kazan, and in the St. Nicholas Church in Yamskaya Sloboda (Ryazan). (wikipedia) Read more Website: http://artmiro.ru/ 

Patrick van der Vorst is a former Director of Sotheby’s Europe. He worked at Sotheby’s in Bond Street, London, from 1995 till 2010, as an auctioneer and Head of the Furniture Department. He left the company to set up his own online art valuation company, ValueMyStuff.com, often referred to in the press as the Antiques Roadshow online. With over 500,000 customers he sold the company in 2018 to pave the way to start seminary in September 2019. He joined the Pontifical Beda College in Rome for the Diocese of Westminster, London. He launched the www.Christian.Art website in the period after having left the art world and before starting seminary. In his daily reflections Patrick combines his knowledge of the arts, together with his personal journey to the priesthood. Patrick was ordained in Rome in June 2022 to the Diaconate. The mission of Christian Art is to offer a daily Gospel Reading paired with a related work of art and a short reflection. Its goal is to help people grow closer to God through the magnificent pairing of art and the Christian faith. https://christian.art  

 ArtWay Visual Meditation 19 February 2023