St John of the Cross

(this is not a border, it is the backing of the print)

Today is the feast day of St John of the Cross, a 16th century Spanish mystic and Carmelite friar who was associated with St Theresa of Avila and who was somewhat of a rebel, he was imprisoned by his own order for trying to bring about reform.

To me though, St John of the Cross is most famous for having one of his visions painted by Salvador Dali. The painting was inspired by a sketch made by St John which looks down upon the cross from an unusual angle. Dali dreamed that he would create a painting of Christ on the cross, that it would be at an unusal angle and that there would be no nails or crown of thorns. His attention to getting the detail of this painting correct was to audition for a suitably physiqued man and to suspend him in his studio in the correct manner!

It was bought by the Glasgow Corporation and went on display in the Kelvingrove museum where one of the first Weegies to see it was my mother on account of the fact her uncle worked as a security guard in the museum. This print was given to her on her 21st birthday. The frame is old and battered but I have not had it reframed because there is a message on the back from her aunt and uncle and because I kind of like it anyway.

You probably can't tell from the photograph but it is obvious that this is an early print because in 1961 a religious zealot attacked and slashed it because he was offended by our viewpoint of looking down on Christ. It was repaired but you can see the slash marks in the actual painting and also, if you know where to look, in prints taken after the slashing occured. Personally I think it is a beautiful and uplifting painting and it is my favourite.

It hangs still in the Kelvingrove although in my opinion it is not hung as well as it was when it was at the Religious museum because there you could view it from all angles, even from above and note the curious way in which the head turns to follow you wherever you are standing.