Those wonderful paintings

Marc Chagall (1887-1985) was a Russian born French painter. Born to a humble Jewish family Chagall passed a childhood steeped in Hasidic culture. His paintings often reflect biblical themes. The series below is based on the Book of Ruth, which resonates with me on many different levels. I'm grateful to Chagall for the color, imagination, artistry, and even the not-so-subtle sensuality he has brought to Ruth's story.

Naomi and her daughters-in-law

This is a picture of Naomi saying goodbye to her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, when she decides to return to her home in Bethlehem. Orpah lets her go, but Ruth, as you may recall, goes with her saying, "Your God will be my God and your people will be my people."

Ruth brings home the sheaves

Here Ruth brings to Naomi the fruit of her labor. She's been gleaning in the field of Naomi's kinsman, Boaz, and has brought home an abundant amount of barley. Naomi is pleased because she thought she had lost everything when her husband died, and now she has this beloved daughter-in-law, bringing home the barley.

The Romance Begins

Here is Chagall's interesting interpre-tation of the developing romance between Ruth and Boaz. If you look closely you can see, in the negative space between the two shocks of barley, a woman's figure. As Ruth lies nude below the shocks, Boaz embraces the negative-space figure of the woman (is this his dream? Is it hers?). Notice that the sickle he holds in his hand is held very delicately, not in any threatening way, and suggests the curve of a woman's breast. Notice also the way he is almost "embracing" the negative space . . . holding the woman of his dreams?