'spying for the son' 
eliza petre
st brigid's catholic parish primary school, gwynneville
year 6

My painting connects to the scripture passage Matthew 2:13-15, Flight to Egypt. This scripture reading reveals to me just how worried and anxious Mary and Joseph must have been. They had just welcomed their newborn son into the world and now suddenly this joy was overshadowed by intense, life threatening fear. 

I have carefully chosen specific paint colours like red and black for the menacing King Herod  and the colour grey to represent how anxious Mary and Joseph were while the evil King Herod searched for the newborn Son of God. I have layered the mountains with clay and given Herod a wicked shadow over the whole landscape to show how desperately he was searching for Baby Jesus, to destroy him.

This scripture reading resonated with me because I wanted to reflect how fear has the ability to overshadow your life. Mary and Joseph suffered through the long, unknown flight to Egypt, with the intense fear of Herod’s wrath looking over them all the way. How fearful they must have been.

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