Rising Dawn

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4/15/17
Acrylic on canvas
30" x 40"

· Scriptural basis:

§ Genesis 3:15- Mary crushing the serpent. In this depiction (like others), has an apple in its mouth while Mary stands on a crescent moon.

§ 11 stars in the stained glass halo- Though Judas was eventually replaced sometime in Acts, the artist still chose to only put 11 stars as a reminder of the 11 apostles who didn’t betray Jesus.

§ Luke 2:35- Immaculate Heart of Mary. Depicted here impaled by a kris on her chest plate

· Decorated armor- Mary as a protector from evil.

· Composition (holding Jesus as a baby while crushing the serpent) and palette- Mary as an exterminator of evil while being a mother and bringer of life—the sunrise to a cold night.

· Filipino and Jewish touches- Many cultures have given their own spin to religious imagery. The armored dress is a terno and the sword impaling the heart on the armor is a kris. But Mary, Jesus and their family were originally Jewish and Mary was painted with portraits of Hebrew/Jewish women as reference. Half the stars are the Star of David.

· Baby Jesus- For a time, the artist was hung up on this: would it be green for life, violet for royalty or red for both? Later realizing for a Santo Nino, green is for prosperity for shop owners and would clash with everything else and violet is sorrow for Lenten season. So the artist mixed red and violet: a combination of life and royalty.

· Headpiece- inspired by a rosary and has roses since rosarium is Latin for either “rose garden” or “crown of roses.”

http://riazana.deviantart.com/art/Rising-Dawn-676376944