And suddenly a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment; for she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made whole." But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you whole." And the woman was made well from that hour.(Matthew 9:20-22)With the graceless Damien Hirsts overrunning the art world, and arrogantly trying to invade Biblical art as well, there are those under the radar who are painting truly beautiful depictions of Biblical stories.
Stephen Gjertson’s The Hem of His Garment is a masterly rendition by a recent (not Renaissance or Medieval) artist of the woman who searched for Jesus to ask for healing, and in her humility was satisfied to touch his hem. Yet, Jesus, in His knowing way, places His hand on her head, acknowledging her presence despite the mayhem of the crowd.
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[click image to view larger version]
What I love about this painting is the utter humility of the woman, and her deep satisfaction that she has found the Lord at all. She makes no public demonstration demanding that he see her, or even speak to her. She is satisfied at just touching the hem.
On an artistic level, the draping clothes make a curtain-like effect around the woman, which isn't claustrophobic because of the gentle grays and plums the artist has used. Also, despite her lowly position on the ground, these subdued colors act as a backdrop to highlight her presence, especially with her reddish (though not gaudy) dress, making her even more prominent in the painting.
There is also the confident and sure hand of Jesus which is slightly highlighted compared to the other hands, which makes it clear whose hand it really is without us having to know who the "His" of the title is. Although there is something regal about the extra drapes, and silver-gray cloth of Jesus' attire.
The whole painting has a subdued, grayish, tint, which gives it a calming and confident presence. Yes, despite this travails of this woman who crawled through the crowd on her hands and knees, she will (and she does) meet her Lord.
Update:
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