The Ties that Bind Us

This episode is about relationships that go deep: the connections we can’t escape and that form our identities.   This might mean family - the Bible is full of familial relationships, whilst the Madonna and Child are the most common subject of Renaissance paintings.   And it also involves all those who have cared for us, shared with us, and helped shape us into who we are.  Joost and Michelle unpick it all, using scriptural passages and five carefully chosen artworks to explore The Ties that Bind Us.  The artworks and insights in this episode of Bible & Art Reframed can be explored in more detail on the Visual Commentary on Scripture: the internet’s premier place for Bible and Art. It houses over 1000 artworks and insightful commentary from experts around the World.      Support Bible & Art Reframed by subscribing, sharing with a friend, and leaving us a review!  \_\_\_\_\_\_\__    **Links to Artworks**  1. Barbara Hepworth, Mother and Child, 1934, Cumberland alabaster on marble base, 23 x 45.5 x 18.9 cm, Tate; Purchased with assistance from the Friends of the Tate Gallery 1993, T06676, ©️ Bowness; Image: ©️ Tate, London / Art Resource, NY 2. Alice Neel, The Soyer Brothers, 1973, Oil on canvas, 152.2 x 117.3 cm, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Purchase, with funds from Arthur M. Bullowa, Sydney Duffy, Stewart R. Mott and Edward Rosenthal, 74.77, ©️ The Estate of Alice Neel. Courtesy The Estate of Alice Neel and David Zwirner, Digital image ©️ Whitney Museum of American Art / Licensed by Scala / Art Resource, NY 3. Johannes Vermeer, Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, c.1654–56, Oil on canvas, 158.50 x 141.50 cm, The National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh; Presented by the sons of W A Coats in memory of their father 1927, NG 1670, © National Galleries of Scotland, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY 4. Simone Martini, Christ Discovered in the Temple, 1342, Tempera and gold on poplar, 49.6 x 35.1 cm, National Museums Liverpool \[Walker Art Gallery]; Given by the Liverpool Royal Institution 1948, WAG 2787, Bridgeman Images 5. S. Jayaraj, Formation of a Prodigal Son, 2021, Mixed media, 30 x 42 cm; ©️ S. Jayaraj   Explore additional artworks on this theme in our Curated Commentaries on The Ties that Bind Us.  \_\_\_\_\_\__  Hosts: Dr Michelle Fletcher and Dr Joost Joustra   Producer: Megan Jones  Theme: Tim Bentley  Instagram: @the\_VCS  TikTok: @thevcs.org  YouTube: VisualCommentaryonScripture