This painting is 44x70 framed, oil on linen, and the price is $11,750. This is a painting of the apostle Thomas and Jesus Christ but it doesn’t depict Thomas as doubting, rather it is an invitation to see ourselves as Thomas and envision the day when we each will know the Savior fully. Here’s the text that was included alongside the painting when it was hanging in a show:
“And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God” (John 20:28)
So many artists have depicted the story of Doubting Thomas throughout the ages, but as I have studied his story, I have come to believe that there are additional perspectives he could have been sharing. He could have been saying, “I am an Apostle, unless I receive my own witness, how can I witness to others?” Or he could have been saying, “I just lost Him and I won’t recover losing Him again if what you are saying is not true. My heart can’t hope for what you are sharing because I won’t recover the second time.” Personally, I think there is so much more to Thomas and his story than we have historically focused on. There’s so much more humanity and I don’t believe we were given those few verses to simply relate to him as someone who doubted. To me, this story is about that fact that Jesus Christ came back just for Thomas and we know that because he singled him out by name. Then, Jesus repeated back to Thomas the same words he had said eight days earlier, so it teaches us that Jesus knows us by name, He knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts, and He comes to meet us where we are and then lifts us. He met Thomas where he was andlifted him. He took Thomas at his words and invited him to know, and I imagine Thomas collapsing from the overwhelm the second their hands touched.
I’ve depicted the moment when Thomas finally knew for himself that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, falling to his knees from the awe and overwhelm of it all and Jesus, knowing Thomas will fall is already swooping in to catch him before his knee hits the ground. To me, the story of Thomas is not about doubting, but it is an invitation from The Savior to each of us to come and feel and see. He may not be with us, but we can still imagine the day when we will each stand where Thomas stands and finally feel the prints in His hands and in His feet. This painting is my vision of what that moment might look and feel like for each of us, Mary Jesus’ mother looking down at her daughter asking if she understands, the child looking out at the viewer inviting you to see yourself in Thomas’ shoes, Peter contemplating what his experience was like eight days earlier, and Thomas and Christ locked in a gaze that says they are speaking spirit to spirit, both illuminated from within and bringing light to the room.
Early on in the work, BYUtv ArtFUL featured it in an episode you can watch here: https://www.byutv.org/db1839b9-f38e-4590-a26d-bc9fd72417ff/artful-brittany-scott-and-steve-%26-tonya-vistaunet
This painting is 44x70 framed, oil on linen, and the price is $11,750. This is a painting of the apostle Thomas and Jesus Christ but it doesn’t depict Thomas as doubting, rather it is an invitation to see ourselves as Thomas and envision the day when we each will know the Savior fully. Here’s the text that was included alongside the painting when it was hanging in a show:
“And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God” (John 20:28)
So many artists have depicted the story of Doubting Thomas throughout the ages, but as I have studied his story, I have come to believe that there are additional perspectives he could have been sharing. He could have been saying, “I am an Apostle, unless I receive my own witness, how can I witness to others?” Or he could have been saying, “I just lost Him and I won’t recover losing Him again if what you are saying is not true. My heart can’t hope for what you are sharing because I won’t recover the second time.” Personally, I think there is so much more to Thomas and his story than we have historically focused on. There’s so much more humanity and I don’t believe we were given those few verses to simply relate to him as someone who doubted. To me, this story is about that fact that Jesus Christ came back just for Thomas and we know that because he singled him out by name. Then, Jesus repeated back to Thomas the same words he had said eight days earlier, so it teaches us that Jesus knows us by name, He knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts, and He comes to meet us where we are and then lifts us. He met Thomas where he was andlifted him. He took Thomas at his words and invited him to know, and I imagine Thomas collapsing from the overwhelm the second their hands touched.
I’ve depicted the moment when Thomas finally knew for himself that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, falling to his knees from the awe and overwhelm of it all and Jesus, knowing Thomas will fall is already swooping in to catch him before his knee hits the ground. To me, the story of Thomas is not about doubting, but it is an invitation from The Savior to each of us to come and feel and see. He may not be with us, but we can still imagine the day when we will each stand where Thomas stands and finally feel the prints in His hands and in His feet. This painting is my vision of what that moment might look and feel like for each of us, Mary Jesus’ mother looking down at her daughter asking if she understands, the child looking out at the viewer inviting you to see yourself in Thomas’ shoes, Peter contemplating what his experience was like eight days earlier, and Thomas and Christ locked in a gaze that says they are speaking spirit to spirit, both illuminated from within and bringing light to the room.
Early on in the work, BYUtv ArtFUL featured it in an episode you can watch here: https://www.byutv.org/db1839b9-f38e-4590-a26d-bc9fd72417ff/artful-brittany-scott-and-steve-%26-tonya-vistaunet
