Christian Art
Call Number : CA-07-02
Green Christmas
Acrylic on canvas
By
M. P. Manoj
Description:
M. P. Manoj chose green, the color of nature, to represent the immersion of the Divine in the realm of the human. The meeting of heaven and earth, God and man, and creator and creatures, takes place in a cowshed in Bethlehem. Animals gaze in wonder at the unusual gift that came from on high. Even angels are amazed at seeing the second person of the Holy Trinity in the human form. All the figures are draped in ornate clothing style that is Indian. Following the Hindu custom, the cows wear gorgeous necklaces. The Divine Child is old enough to raise his right hand to bless a captive audience. Manoj used the artistic style of mural paintings. The green color creates a sense of shanthi and consonance among the triple realms of the divine, human, and nature. Green is the color for benevolent characters in Kathakali, an epic theatrical dance drama of Kerala.
M. P. Manoj is the art teacher at Rajagiri Higher Secondary School at Kalamassery, Kerala, India.
