My thoughts on a painting laden with symbolism.
(Image description: A painting of St. Bride being carried across the sea by two angels. The angels wear ornate robes featuring scenes from Jesus’ life. A gray seal swims before them, while a couple gulls fly behind them. The sky is filled with puffy clouds and a soft, pink and blue morning sky. A distant shoreline is seen in the corner.) Credit: By John Duncan – https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/17484, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35078983
With Samhain approaching, this post might seem slightly out of place. I felt the need to switch gears after the previous somber entries and opted for a beholding session. The focus is John Duncan’s 1913 painting St. Bride.
The immediate themes that come to mind in the painting are whimsy and syncretism. Given St. Brighid/Bride’s nature, the latter isn’t surprising. Her hagiographies are full of miracles that connect with the natural world.
The central figure, St. Bride, is sleeping or deeply meditating while praying. Compared with the other elements, She seems almost passive as the angels carry Her off to Bethlehem. Her state recalls the explanation of Her mind always being on God. She personifies the act of “doing nothing” inherent in many monastic practices. The white gown could represent Her holiness and simple life, while the necklace’s white beads (maybe pearls of wisdom?) could symbolize the community She eventually formed in Ireland and beyond.
The angels have their own character to note. Both are clothed in ornate robes depicting the life of Jesus. With the knotwork, spirals, and style, these details are reminiscent of the Book of Kells. The details provide a sense of movement and maybe even hint of non-linear, “mythic” time through which they’re transporting St. Bride.
Their facial expression give them distinct personalities. The angel carrying St. Bride by Her shoulders appears entirely focused on the task at hand, while the angel holding Bride’s legs looks back at the young saint. They appear to marvel at St. Bride’s intense focus, almost distracting them.
While St. Brighid is frequently depicted with livestock, a seal and a pair of gulls fill this role instead.
While not anthropomorphized, there’s a sense of joy in their features. The seal looks as though it’s guiding the angels to their destination. (Perhaps they’re unused to being on Earth, so they needed to ask for directions.) The seal (or even a selkie) likely swam in a circle before moving straight, but the movements remind me of an Otherworldly portal.
The gulls are an amusing addition to the scene, as I don’t typically think of them being in Christian iconography. They are surprisingly calm, yet I can’t help but think they’re keeping their squawks of “Mine, mine!” down to a respectful volume until they fly off elsewhere. Perhaps they stand for finding spiritual joy in even brief moments.
Subtle details like the sky and the border add to the feel of the painting. Fluffy clouds are lit up by the sunrise’s rays, making the scenes hopeful yet romantic. The angels and one gull’s wings reach past the border and provide a larger-than-life impression. This aspect fits with St. Brighid Herself in Her miracles and overall demeanor. The flatness and geometric shapes on the border make all of the other elements pop and emphasize the surreal nature of the journey taking place.
Overall, Duncan seems to be indicating St. Bride’s importance and Her nature at bridging the past to Her role as Jesus’ foster-mother. The scene embodies liminality, due to the animals and the angels floating in between the realms. The animals’ presence provides a certain light-hardheartedness to what might otherwise be a serious religious topic. I feel this trait meshes well with Brighid’s sense of humor and signals to the viewer not taking things too seriously.
While I have provided my insights on the picture, I encourage you to see if there are other things in the painting that I didn’t pick up on (themes, messages, and so on). I might return to this image in the future in case anything of note merits another post.
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