French Impressionist, Gustave Caillebotte, offered this gift of perspective in 1876. With the eye of an artist, he takes a rather ordinary scene, crops it and with a complex application of one-point perspective and neutral colors, gives us a masterpiece. As an Impressionist he painted en plen air and filled this work with bright sunlight and tinted shadows. He used informal balance to claim the prominence of the bridge over the people and the interesting free roaming dog. He takes our eyes from the bold foreground that extends beyond the page to a distant and miniature background with the practiced, quick strokes of a brush. If we seek beauty and genius, we will surely find these here.

Seeking and finding seems an important spiritual practice for our times. We can seek beautiful, kind, welcoming and loving things each day and try to comprehend God’s grace when we find these everywhere. Amen.

In gratitude, faith and hope,

Sandy Prouty
Minister of Children and Families
Montview Church