The 7 last words in the eyes of Manuel Pañares By Jenara Regis Newman
Monday, March 26, 2012 SUNSTAR
PAINTER Manuel Pañares recounts that he had always been fascinated by the “Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ” even as a child. This fascination lasted through adulthood, to the years when he started to hone his art.
For many years, he would spend Good Friday painting the face of Christ crucified: sometimes serene, sometimes sorrowing, often suffering, but always accepting the will of His Father. All these paintings he gave away to whoever visited him on Good Friday.
Ten or so years ago, he decided he would paint Christ as He spoke the Seven Last Words and keep those paintings for his personal collection.
The artworks are subtly divided in half, the upper half with the face of Christ and the lower half with a comment on contemporary times. For the first words, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”, the scene below is people at war.
“I tell you this day you will be in paradise” has a lyrical scene, with flowers and a waterfall. The Blessed Mother is in “Woman, behold thy son. Son, behold thy mother.”
“Father, why have You forsaken me?” depicts a scene of people running in panic, when the World Trade Center was being bombed. A fish kill is in “I thirst.” A dead soldier is in “It is finished.” And finally, “Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit” has a background of clouds and light shining through.
“Note”, asks Manuel, “The eyes of Christ in the seventh painting. They are closed but there seems to be a ball of light on the eyelids. This signifies that even with His eyes closed, He can still see.”
After Manuel finished these seven paintings, he stopped painting the face of Christ on Good Friday.
“It would seem,” he reflects, “That all those years I painted the face of Christ on Good Friday, I was preparing for this final set of paintings.” It is a set of artworks that makes one stop and reflect on the words of our Lord, in the context of contemporary life—of one’s very own life.
Monday, March 26, 2012 SUNSTAR
PAINTER Manuel Pañares recounts that he had always been fascinated by the “Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ” even as a child. This fascination lasted through adulthood, to the years when he started to hone his art.
For many years, he would spend Good Friday painting the face of Christ crucified: sometimes serene, sometimes sorrowing, often suffering, but always accepting the will of His Father. All these paintings he gave away to whoever visited him on Good Friday.
Ten or so years ago, he decided he would paint Christ as He spoke the Seven Last Words and keep those paintings for his personal collection.
The artworks are subtly divided in half, the upper half with the face of Christ and the lower half with a comment on contemporary times. For the first words, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”, the scene below is people at war.
“I tell you this day you will be in paradise” has a lyrical scene, with flowers and a waterfall. The Blessed Mother is in “Woman, behold thy son. Son, behold thy mother.”
“Father, why have You forsaken me?” depicts a scene of people running in panic, when the World Trade Center was being bombed. A fish kill is in “I thirst.” A dead soldier is in “It is finished.” And finally, “Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit” has a background of clouds and light shining through.
“Note”, asks Manuel, “The eyes of Christ in the seventh painting. They are closed but there seems to be a ball of light on the eyelids. This signifies that even with His eyes closed, He can still see.”
After Manuel finished these seven paintings, he stopped painting the face of Christ on Good Friday.
“It would seem,” he reflects, “That all those years I painted the face of Christ on Good Friday, I was preparing for this final set of paintings.” It is a set of artworks that makes one stop and reflect on the words of our Lord, in the context of contemporary life—of one’s very own life.