Well I have finished the last of Phil Rickman's Merrily Watkins book - The Smile of a Ghost. Rickman has a tendency to hold your attention till the last word is read, though I must admit the ending was slightly garbled. In all his books he mentions the print in Merrily's hall as she hangs up her coat, the one below of course. So slightly intrigued, after all I once thought the Pre-Raphaelites were fabulous, not so much now though, I looked it up. So was Rickman saying something symbolic about the 'obstinately shut mind'. His stories always on the edge of believable in ghosts and dark matters, and then he draws back and we have a human in the frame capable of dastardly deeds.
The Light of the World (1851–1853) is an allegorical painting by the English Pre-Raphaelite artist William Holman Hunt (1827–1910) representing the figure of Jesus preparing to knock on an overgrown and long-unopened door, illustrating Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me". According to Hunt: "I painted the picture with what I thought, unworthy though I was, to be by Divine command, and not simply as a good Subject." The door in the painting has no handle, and can therefore be opened only from the inside, representing "the obstinately shut mind".Hunt, 50 years after painting it, felt he had to explain the symbolism.
Actually I like the print, not for its religious connotations, but for that spray of dry wild plants that tries to grow up the door and the trees behind. For me it is a landscape painting, Jesus in his rich robe accentuating the art work. The print must have hung in thousands of homes, a religious expression of faith.
Things that maybe believable or not, here I am talking about such things as leylines and ghosts. Rickman is happy amongst prehistoric barrows, old evil churches with wicked grinning gargoyles (the ability of the church to frighten its parishoners into believing).
The thing about belief is how far you want to believe. Take dowsers for instance with a couple of rods, they can dowse for water or in some cases for hidden objects under the soil. They add stories to their dowsing, a brutal death has happened here, thinking here of King Arthur's hall on Bodmin Moor. The archaeologists haven't worked out what this square watery space is surrounded by standing stones but dowsers found some anomalies - who do you believe? and perhaps more important who do you want to believe?
Interesting post Thelma. I must say I don't know Rickman's work - I must look for it - wonder if anyone has ever recommended it to our book club.
ReplyDeleteI remember 'The Light of the World' - hung in my Grandma=s house when I was a child. The pre-Raphaelites are not my cup of tea at all I am afraid.
As for religion, i am a Humanist and have already planned my funeral with the help of the Society - save my son a lot of bother when the time comes.
Think Rickman has a fairly small audience though he gets very good reviews.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading Victor Gollancz when I was about 18, along with many other subjects but never got into religion at all!