Shown in “Who Are the Least of These?” (Webster Presbyterian Church Sanctuary for the Arts, Webster, TX - Jan.-Mar. 2024)
Created for "Wish Upon a Star: An Art Tribute to Disney" 2023 (Insomnia Gallery, Houston, TX - June 9, 2023)
Year: 2023
Medium: Acrylic on wood panel
Size: 12 x 9 inches (16.75 x 13.75 x 1.25 with frame)
I originally painted this piece for a Disney tribute show. Because I love art history and Byzantine icons in particular, I decided to depict one of my favorite characters, Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, in the style of a religious icon.
Esmeralda embodies "the least of these" on many levels: as a Romani woman in the midst of deeply Catholic medieval France, she is marginalized for her ethnicity, religion, gender, poverty, and for the itinerant nature of her people. However, during her song "God Help the Outcasts" (from which comes the title of this painting), she prays not for the betterment of her own circumstances but for those "less lucky than I," displaying a generosity of spirit and a deep caring for others. This is alluded to via the water bucket and ladle in her hand, which is both a nod to the stage show (where she offers water to the tormented Quasimodo) as well as a symbol of her willingness to offer simple kindness to her fellow man.
Shown in “Who Are the Least of These?” (Webster Presbyterian Church Sanctuary for the Arts, Webster, TX - Jan.-Mar. 2024)
Created for "Wish Upon a Star: An Art Tribute to Disney" 2023 (Insomnia Gallery, Houston, TX - June 9, 2023)
Year: 2023
Medium: Acrylic on wood panel
Size: 12 x 9 inches (16.75 x 13.75 x 1.25 with frame)
I originally painted this piece for a Disney tribute show. Because I love art history and Byzantine icons in particular, I decided to depict one of my favorite characters, Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, in the style of a religious icon.
Esmeralda embodies "the least of these" on many levels: as a Romani woman in the midst of deeply Catholic medieval France, she is marginalized for her ethnicity, religion, gender, poverty, and for the itinerant nature of her people. However, during her song "God Help the Outcasts" (from which comes the title of this painting), she prays not for the betterment of her own circumstances but for those "less lucky than I," displaying a generosity of spirit and a deep caring for others. This is alluded to via the water bucket and ladle in her hand, which is both a nod to the stage show (where she offers water to the tormented Quasimodo) as well as a symbol of her willingness to offer simple kindness to her fellow man.
