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A new set of the fourteen Stations of
the Cross
commissioned by the Church of Christ the King in New Vernon, NJ.
Leonard Porter Fourteen
Stations of the Cross 2011 Oil
on Linen, 16 x 12 inches, each.
Collection of the Church of Christ the King, New Vernon, NJ ©
Leonard Porter MMXI
Installation and Dedication
Vernissage Reception at Leonard Porter
Studio
In the past, pilgrimages to the Holy
Land were often difficult and dangerous for Christians. As a result,
representations of the Stations of the Cross became popular in the
17th and 18th centuries as ‘proxy pilgrimages’. This allowed the
faithful to 'walk' and pray along the path of Jesus' Passion, the
final hours from His condemnation by Pilate to entombment. The traditional
set of fourteen stations includes both scriptural and apocryphal
occurrences and today they are found in most Catholic churches.
In this set, the sequence begins with Pilate, his outstretched hand
setting off a chain of events that sends Christ through a Jerusalem
more imagined through a veil of tradition than based on the most
current archaeological evidence. Over the course of a violent procession
through the streets and out through a city gate, Jesus encounters
his mother, falls repeatedly, is helped by Simon of Cyrene, takes
and blesses the veil of Veronica and warns the women of Jerusalem
of the future destruction of the Second Temple by Titus (in 70 AD).
He is then stripped bare, offered the gall to drink and finally
crucified as the Roman soldiers stand grimly by. He dies on the
Cross, and is taken down and laid in His tomb.
Signs and symbols abound. The crimson anemone in VI signifies the
Blessed Virgin’s sorrow at the Passion, the overturned brazier in
VIII foreshadows the destruction of the Temple, and the small Corinthian
column in V helps support a much larger arch just as Simon helps
Jesus.
Paintings usually deal with a single event, but the Stations allow
an artist to create characters and tell stories through a series
of images. For example, the Roman centurion Longinus, seen in many
of the vignettes, gradually develops compassion for Jesus as he
witnesses His suffering.
Another story that unfolds through these paintings is the transformation
of the Cross. At first the Cross is made of clean-cut lumber, but
becomes progressively more woody and tree-like as it is being ravaged.
By XII it has grown knots, and in XIII it is literally spreading
roots into the ground to live again. In Heaven, the wood of the
Cross is reborn as the Tree of Life.
A strong connection between Jesus and wood/trees is present throughout
the Stations. In VIII, Jesus refers to himself as a green tree,
and in XI the stump is a metaphor for His crucifixion. This connection
is amplified by the fact that paintings are framed in wooden frames,
and in the Church of Christ the King, the altar statue of Christ
as High Priest is rendered in unfinished wood.
Ultimately the focus is on Jesus, clothed in traditional colors
(red for the flesh and blue for Heaven, His two aspects), His head
is held high even as He is ravaged by the sins of man as represented
by the numerous henchmen who torment Him in every scene. His focus
is maintained throughout, garnering His strength to complete His
purpose in this world. The single palm growing in XIV alludes to
His coming rebirth and ultimate victory.
Leonard Porter Studio LLC of New York, NY is pleased to announce
the completion of this new set of the fourteen Stations of the Cross
commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church of Christ the King in
New Vernon, NJ, Rev. Patrick G. O’Donovan, Pastor.
These original oil paintings measure 16 x 12 inches and are framed
in custom Doric aedicule (temple front) frames. The frames were
designed by Leonard Porter with additional design consultation by
Christine G. H. Franck, built by Brent Hull of Hull Historical Architectural
Millwork and gilded by master gilder Luis Copete of Cowood Gilders,
LTD. The finished paintings were installed in the Church of Christ
the King of New Vernon, NJ in March of 2011.
Leonard Porter Studio and Segnatura Fine Arts is pleased to announce
the availability of archival quality, full color giclées of the
Stations, available in a variety of sizes, framed and unframed.
For further information, please visit Segnatura
Fine Arts / www.segnatura.com.
The Church of Christ the King, New Vernon,
NJ
Leonard Porter Design
Presentation Sketches for The Stations of the Cross
2010 Ink and watercolor on paper 20x 14 inches.
© Leonard Porter MMX
Leonard Porter Custom
Aedicule Frame 2011 Cherry Wood
and Gold Leaf, 34 1/4 x 21 3/8 imches.
Designed by Leonard Porter, fabricated by Hull Historical and gilded
by Cowood Gilders, LTD.
Collection of the Church of Christ the King, New Vernon, NJ ©
Leonard Porter MMXI
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