"The Good Shepherd"30" x 40" oil on canvas
$4800
For centuries, shepherds in the Holy Land have used oil as a healing agent for the sheep of their flocks. The oil is used as protection from sunburn of the sheep's head as well as a balm for cuts and scrapes that the sheep acquire. Upon learning of this I was inspired to paint the image because it echoes a familiar verse from the 23rd Psalm. In the fifth verse, the psalmist David writes, "Thou annointest my head with oil." equating the care of the shepherd with the care of God, the Father.
It was a custom that kings were anniointed with oil whenever they began their rule over Israel. Today, many denominations continue to use the oil as a symbol of healing.
In the painting the sheep surround the shepherd as he administers the healing oil. The dry and inhospitable land is a harsh backdrop for the kind and attentive act of the Good Shepherd.