The Priest

This painting is based on a picture that I took during a travel to Israel. It portrays empty chairs and a priest who seems to invite us, the spectators, to stop by. While the priest is waiting for someone, he is immersed in his thoughts. Thus, this scene also depicts a time of loneliness and reflection while urging us to speculate about the priest’s thoughts and feelings. As we look at his pensive posture, we are called to embrace an inward journey throughout our wishes, needs, worries, and emotions. The setting of the picture is a street in Jerusalem, a city that lies at the crossroad of religions, cultural traditions, and ethnic contrasts. In this scenario, the figure of a priest with dark skin symbolizes the need for a shared spiritual dimension that recognizes but overcomes differences while accompanying our journey in search for ourselves and others.

The medium of this painting is oil on canvas. To portray the black dress of the priest, I took inspiration from the painting “Whistler’s Mather” (Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1) by James Abbott McNeill Whistler.