Occasionally I hope you come across a piece of art that captures your eyes and rewrites your definitions of talent and possibility. Have you ever seen such a piece? Study for “The Birthday Party” is that sort of painting for me and I will try to tell you why.

The subject of this scene is a gathering for a birthday party. It is thought to have been the 14^th birthday party of the artist’s granddaughter in 1929. It seems to reveal a birthday party dress code of this era with so many duplicate white dresses worn within a nondescript outdoor setting painted in dull tones and deepening dusk. The contrast of this work begins with these dresses and reaches a seldom height with lamps on tables and lanterns hanging. What an amazing red in the lanterns! What clear light on the tables with this red repeated!  What a sense of warmth and community built for the partygoers against the darkness that surrounds them. This seems the light of belonging and joy!

Thomas Cooper Gotch, a British artist, was known as a master of color who gained acclaim for his treatment of artificial light and the transparency of his illumination, all on grand display in this work.

Now let’s take a moment to realize that all of the contrast our eyes find and interpret was made with brush and paint. How does one paint light so convincingly? And truly how can we appreciate and honor such artistic genius?

Maybe we place these questions within the mystery of human excellence gifted and blessed by God and we give thanks for occasionally coming across a reminder in such a piece of art.

I hope you will!

Thanks be to God and Amen.

In gratitude, faith and hope,

Sandy Prouty
Minister of Children and Families
Montview Church