Religious Cubist Painting? Unsigned 6' x 5'

How would I describe this painting, nice piece, pulled it out of a trash bin behind a church. Big, measures 5'H x 6'L.

 

Mario, I think it is a "modern interpretation" of the biblical story of "wise" King Solomon who, when two women appeared before him and each woman was claiming the baby was her baby.

For anyone who may not know "the rest of the story": King Solomon said he would cut the baby into two pieces so each woman could have "her" baby.

As I said he was considered "wise" King Solomon. That was because he knew that the real/true mother would not let that happen and would say that the other woman could have the baby.

Wise King Solomon gave the baby to the woman who would rather give the baby to the other woman instead of seeing her baby killed/cut into two pieces.

 

Or it could be Hagar, Sarah, and Abraham.

 

From the expression on the middle figures face it looks like it's Hagar and Sara.

 

I'd put that right back where you found it.


There may be a curse.

 

There is also the difference in age, rank & skin color of the woman on the left & the other two figures.

 

i can see a church elder not liking this depiction one bit..........

 

Other than the story, if it is Hagar, Sarah , and Abraham, being just one most horrific biblical stories, I don't see anything wrong with the piece.

Not to my tastes, but it strikes me as above average quality... kind of like illustrative pieces you would expect to find in Sunday school educational materials.

Otoh, Mister Jivvy had far fewer kind words for it.

 

It's not a Cubist piece, it's just that Hagar's face reminds one of Picasso. It could almost be the design for a stained glass window.

Hagar & Ishmael play a much larger role in Islamic tradition than they do in Judaism or Christianity, and, to some extent, Ishmael can be seen as a founder of the line that leads to Muhammad & some of the Arab peoples, with Abraham being the progenitor of both lineages. The dove & lamb on the left, not to mention the blended skin tone of the infant Ishmael, seem to me to be an expression of a wish for peace between the faiths.

 

I agree with a depiction of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, and baby Ismael. I just wonder why Abraham is wearing Madonna's Jean Paul Gualtier bra.