Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) was a major artist of the French Classical Movement. He painted from classic literature and the Bible. He is lauded for his precise technique, his rich colors and, in other works, the direct drama he adds to his canvases.

This piece is instead a moment of peace and beauty beyond circumstance. The imprisoned Saint John lounges in masterfully painted bright, folded fabric in the foreground. A crystal clear landscape stretches behind him supporting this moment. The features of classical architecture add interest to this location while the broken pieces near John add intrigue. Do these represent a project under way or a project denied? Saint John’s or another’s? We can answer these from the story of John or from our own place in time and emotion. These may represent new hope and beginnings or old and desperate disappointments or a place in between as each of us moves on through these lives we have been given.

We give God thanks for this composition. We are grateful for the story that inspired it and the gifted hands that accomplished it.  And we pray to know some moments of this deeply counterintuitive, faithful peace in our own years and days. Amen.

In gratitude, faith and hope,

Sandy Prouty
Minister of Children and Families
Montview Church