I chose to paint Judas trying to return the coins he received when he sold out Jesus to the Romans. Rather than include a figure of Jesus in the composition, I chose to represent him in the background as a chained lamb. I mostly wanted to emphasize the pain and remorse that Judas felt after betraying his friend.
Project Bach 2012
Click the thumbnails to view the artworks at full size.
Katelyn Comeau
Laura Jackman
Bach’s St. Matthews Passion inspired this piece. I was struck by the story and imagery of the thorn crown that was placed upon Jesus’s head. I interwove that with the lyrics of Bach’s orchestra to create this piece.
Lauren May*
This piece was inspired by the lyrics found within the musical piece, describing Jesus as the Lamb of God. The sheep skull with a crown of thorns portrays a feeling of the loss of Christ, while the blooming flowers symbolize his wounds from the nails as well as new life and growth upon his return.
Lindsey Anderton
When I first heard the St. Matthew Passion by Bach, the image of doves and flight instantly came to mind. The pieces are so audibly rich and diverse that the music seems as though it could serve as Heavens soundtrack itself. I wanted to depict the movement and imagery that I experienced as I listened, while incorporating themes that related to the content of the music.
Liz Harper*
For my piece I chose to create a variation of the classic pieta, with the body of Christ being held up by a nest of thorns, rather than by Mary. I was inspired by the story of Christ, and the way that Bach created the choruses and other lyrical parts of the piece. I wanted to show the sacrifice, but I wanted to emphasize the willingness of Christ giving up his body for the world.
Liz O'Connor
"Martyr"
This piece depicts the Mother's departure from serenity to sacrifice.
Maria Dominguez
The project was completed mainly under the concept of experimentation. Artists like Egon Schiele was my inspiration to draw the pain of the body reflected in the mind and in the heart.
Matthias Christensen*
I was inspired by the power and drama of the music. I tried to portray the emotion with a dramatic pose and expressive marks.
Max Aubrey
The concept of my illustration was what had happened after Jesus had been crucified and how Mary was handling the death of her son. I was inspired by one of the later parts of St. Matthew Passion “Wir Setzen Uns Mit Tranen Nieder”. While listening to the music I had pictured how Mary dealt with the death of Jesus and the long lasting sorrow she endured.
Melissa Riling
The "Passion of the Christ" inspired the high contrast of dark undertones and bright highlights painted in watercolor in this painting. The sleeping innocent man is completely nondescript, being the everyman enduring an everyday sickness which is the time of life where people most think about Jesus and his life and it gives them hope.
* Selected to be displayed in Symphony Hall during Bach St. Matthew Passion concerts March 30 and April 1, 2012.
