Gideon

Partial Portraits: Gideon (2014) (6" x 6")

acrylic on canvas

This is the first of four in a series featuring characters found in the Book of Judges. They are called partial portraits for two reasons. The descriptions of the judges in this book are very brief (for the most part) and do not give a three-dimensional picture of the people involved. They are usually known only for one main event in their lives, usually a violent event.

The other obvious reason they are partial portraits is that they are blown-up details from medieval paintings. For example, the above picture only shows Gideon's foot right before he picks up the fleece he cast on the ground earlier looking for a sign from God. Gideon's act is not one to be emulated since it shows his lack of faith in God's earlier words to him.