Holy Innocents: The Massacre and the Triumph



Triumph of the Innocents

Much has been written about King Herod’s alleged Massacre of the Innocents.  Matthew 2:16-18 tells us that - as prophesied by Jeremiah - Herod had all the youngest males in Bethlehem killed in order to protect his throne from then-Baby Jesus, the proclaimed new King of the Jews.

Many artists have painstakingly depicted what they imagined this bloody scene to have looked like.  The great Flemish painter, Rubens, shows piles of young bodies – some being forcefully snatched from their anguished parents, others lying dead on the ground.  Most other well-known portrayals focus upon violent details such as these.

One painting, however, markedly differs.  Instead of bearing the usual title, Massacre of the Innocents –

this painting is called Triumph of the Innocents.   It shows a soul-stirring aftermath to the massacre – one

in which the spirit bodies of these innocent first Christian martyrs are now free to accompany the Holy Family to Egypt.

The painter of this vision was William Holman Hunt, a cofounder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.  One

pervasive belief of this Brotherhood was that art is essentially spiritual in nature.  Although Hunt was known as a realist, his realism was balanced with idealized perspectives.  This could explain why, instead of focusing upon the gory details of the massacre, Hunt instead focused upon its spiritual implications.

Interestingly enough, another cofounder of the Brotherhood – John Everett Millais – was sharply criticized for his portrayal of Christ in the House of His Parents.  According to Wikipedia, none other than Charles Dickens accused Millais of making Mary look “ugly,” and the entire Holy Family look like “alcoholics and slum-dwellers.”  Dickens considered this style of realism to be blasphemous.

Should members of the Holy Family instead look like supermodels?  Conversely, should Hunt’s angelic

innocents instead look a little more battle-scarred?  Striking a true balance between the harsh details of this realm and the alluring details of other realms is a formidable challenge for artists and philosophers alike.  Even when the spiritual ultimately triumphs, it remains crucial not to minimize the prior struggles.

Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_the_Innocents

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Raphaelite_Brotherhood

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Matthew+2%3A16-18

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Holman_Hunt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Everett_Millais

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Paul_Rubens

Copyright December 28, 2010 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved