This drawing depicts the immolation of the Prophet Elijah’s sacrifice on Mount Carmel. The story is told in the eighteenth chapter of the Third Book of Kings:
Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered together the prophets unto mount Carmel. And Elijah coming to all the people, said: How long do you halt between two sides? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word. And Elijah said again to the people: I only remain a prophet of the Lord: but the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men. Let two bullocks be given us, and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces and lay it upon wood, but put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under it. Call ye on the names of your gods, and I will call on the name of my Lord: and the God that shall answer by fire, let him be God. And all the people answering, said: A very good proposal. Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal: Choose you one bullock and dress it first, because you are many: and call on the names of your gods, but put no fire under. And they took the bullock which he gave them, and dressed it: and they called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying: O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered: and they leaped over the altar that they had made. And when it was now noon, Elijah jested at them, saying: Cry with a louder voice: for he is a God, and perhaps he is talking, or is in an inn, or on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep, and must be awaked. So they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till they were all covered with blood. And after midday was past, and while they were prophesying, the time was come of offering sacrifice, and there was no voice heard, nor did any one answer, nor regard them as they prayed: Elijah said to all the people: Come ye unto me. And the people coming near unto him, he repaired the altar of the Lord, that was broken down: And he took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying: Israel shall be thy name. And he built with the stones an altar to the name of the Lord: and he made a trench for water, of the breadth of two furrows round about the altar. And he laid the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it upon the wood. And he said: Fill four buckets with water, and pour it upon the burnt offering, and upon the wood. And again he said: Do the same the second time. And when they had done it the second time, he said: Do the same also the third time. And they did so the third time. And the water run round about the altar, and the trench was filled with water. And when it was now time to offer the holocaust, Elijah the prophet came near and said: O Lord God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, shew this day that thou art the God of Israel, and I thy servant, and that according to thy commandment I have done all these things. Hear me, O Lord, hear me: that this people may learn, that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart again. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the holocaust, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw this, they fell on their faces, and they said: The Lord he is God, the Lord he is God.My drawing includes the immolation of the sacrifice, the exhausted prophets of Baal, King Ahab standing by, the angry observing crowd, and the little cloud like a man’s footprint that appeared shortly after the sacrifice. The brown plants and the dead tree with its bark peeling off indicate the severe drought that was afflicting Israel at the time. The raven perched on its branch is meant to be one of the birds that earlier fed the prophet in the wilderness; presumably, these also would have been attracted to the flesh of the bullocks slaughtered for the sacrifice.
Elijah is one of twelve Biblical figures for whom I have designed a signature carpet, to appear with him throughout the Summula Pictoria. The art historian Volkmar Gantzhorn argued in his book The Christian Oriental Carpet that carpets are traditional indicators of sanctity, like halos for the feet. Elijah’s carpet includes the words propheta and martyr written in orthogonal letters. Elijah is named as a martyr because he is believed to be one of two witnesses (along with Enoch) mentioned in the 11th chapter of the Revelation to St. John, who will return from Heaven to prophesy in the reign of the Antichrist, suffer martyrdom, then rise from the dead and ascend into Heaven after three days.
An ancient legend traces the garments of skin made by God for Adam through subsequent centuries, passing into the possession of Seth, Noah, Ham, Cush, Nimrod, Esau, and Jacob — and eventually the prophet Elijah. While I don’t consider this tradition entirely trustworthy, I like its symbolism and the way that it connects these figures. Thus, in the Summula Pictoria, all of them wear this same garment, as does John the Baptist, who is Elijah’s counterpart in the New Testament.
The staff that Elijah holds, a crook whose head has the form of one serpent swallowing another, is meant to suggest both an episcopal crosier and Aaron’s Rod.
Elijah’s halo, in my drawing, is a silver-colored square. In patristic writings, the New Testament is associated with the clear light of the Sun, and the Old with the reflected light of the Moon. Because Elijah is a saint of the Old Testament, his halo has the color of the moon rather than the sun.
Square halos appear in early mosaics, on persons still living when the work of art was made. To place an artistic indication of holiness on a living man or woman who has yet to be judged by God has always seemed presumptuous to me. However, there are two exceptions, persons alive today whom we may believe with confidence, based on the sacred scriptures and tradition, will be counted among the elect after their natural deaths: Enoch and Elijah, who were taken by God to Heaven before dying.
In all drawings of the Summula Pictoria, I use the translucent calfskin for artistic effect, drawing certain details on the reverse side. These appear more or less distinct depending on how much light is shining through the drawing. Here, those details include the little cloud, deeper colors for the water and flesh, the names of the twelve tribes of Israel that correspond to the twelve stones in the altar, the Hand of God, and the damask pattern in Elijah’s mantle.
Sacred artists, perhaps limited by their materials, have for centuries largely avoided the challenge of drawing non-incarnate beings in a distinctive way. For the most part, they have drawn or painted the figures or emblems representing God the Father and God the Holy Ghost as though they were physically present, or have avoided depicting them altogether.
My own idea is to draw these figures or emblems figures on the opposite side of the translucent calfskin, so that their apparent bodies will have a ghostly appearance, and only be fully visible when the drawing is held up to light. It is an imperfect solution to an impossible problem, but it is the best idea I have for now. This is why the Hand of God is drawn on the reverse, where the front has only an outline.
The damask patterns, which are in the style of medieval millefleur tapestries, include several symbolic emblems. The griffin is a Christological symbol due to its dual nature; I like to include it where Elijah or John the Baptist appear, as it is a creature of the wilderness. The salamander, which was believed to survive in fire, I associate with miracles that involve fire. The grain mill is a traditional symbol of the Old Law being turned into the New; I include it when depicting prophets.
Drawings of the Summula Pictoria that depict earthly events between the Fall of Adam and the Nativity of Mary have a purple border. I drew on the end of a piece of calfskin, which is why the bottom of the drawing has an irregular edge.
Medium: Drawing, color ink on calfskin vellum
Dimensions: 6" × ~8"
Year: 2025
Open-edition giclée prints of this drawing are available. You may use the buttons below to pay via PayPal, debit card, or credit card. Be sure to confirm the shipping address.
|
Actual size art print: $34
|
13" × 14" large print: $68
|
154dpi digital download: $7
|
See this page for additional ordering instructions and general information. If you want to pay via a check or money order, please e-mail me at danielmitsuiartist@gmail.com.
