Haiti’s Scars, and Its Soul, Find Healing on Walls

THE NEW YORK TIMES
February 22, 2011
The Smithsonian’s Stephanie Hornbeck at the
Episcopal Trinity Cathedral in Port-au-Prince.
HAITI--The three remaining murals of the Episcopal Trinity Cathedral in Haiti are being restored in a painstaking 18-month project that began in the fall. The original 14 murals had been internationally treasured. Painted in the early 1950s during an artistic renaissance here, they depicted biblical scenes from a proud, local point of view: with Jesus carrying a Haitian flag as he ascended to heaven; and a last supper that, unlike some famous depictions, does not portray Judas with darker skin than the other disciples. “All of this was painted from a Haitian perspective,” said the Rev. David César, the church’s main priest and its music school director. He marveled at the image miraculously still standing: Judas, with the white beard and wavy white hair often assigned to God himself. It was his favorite mural, he said, and now, it is being saved. In a partnership between the Episcopal Church and the Smithsonian, all three surviving murals are being stabilized and carefully taken to a climate-controlled warehouse in Haiti where they will be protected until they can be redisplayed in a new home. [link]

Popular posts from this blog

Passing on Your Collection to Another Generation

Museum Calls Off Kehinde Wiley Show, Citing Assault Allegations

Was Jesus naked on the cross? Yes, according to Michelangelo, the Bible, and Roman customs