I deliver a painting to the Montserrat Museum
9 February, 2010
Today is one of my most important days, professionally, comparable with my first individual exhibition in New York, as both were among my professional aims to be achieved. This is about having a painting in the Monastery of Montserrat Museum, for me one of the most beautiful museums of the world, quite apart from the symbolism that this magic mountain has for our country. So today, 9 February 2010, I have delivered my “Crist de la bona sang” to Josep de C. Laplana, the museum’s curator, whom I thank for his interest and kindness.
Many years ago I thought of making a religious painting representing Christ sent by God, but my ideas were not very clear because I did not want it to be a conventional Christ, as generally represented by the thousands of artists who have tackled this subject.
Then one day, some time ago, at a dinner in Palm Beach with James Borynak, owner of the Wally Findlay Gallery, a very religious person and a great collector of crucifixes, he said that it was a pity I had never made a painting of Christ. From that moment, my old idea of making such a painting became an obsession, until one day I conceived the work: “El Crist de la bona sang”.
This Christ, a large scale painting (195x114 cm, the figure is life size and the model was my son David), represents the figure of Christ covered by a white sheet, levitating over space and rising out of the frame, so that we can only see part of His face. Also, His right arm is uncovered and outside the sheet, with the hand open in a receptive way, receiving a thread of blood which falls into the palm of His hand, which retains a part of it while allowing the rest, the rejected part, to fall away between His fingers. This is not a Christ who gives his blood for men, but one who receives all the blood spilt in His name. He only accepts that which has been spilt by men of good faith who have believed in His word, and rejects the blood spilt in His name in unjust wars and through religious fanaticism, or simply for the interests and falsehoods of men.
