Today we are mixing:
- The Painting: “The Incredulity of Saint Thomas” (1601-1602) by Caravaggio.
- The Soundtrack: “A star shall come forth” by Mychael Danna (“The Nativity Story” Soundtrack)
About the Painting
The Incredulity of Saint Thomas is a painting of the subject of the same name by the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio, c. 1601–1602. It is housed in the Sanssouci Picture Gallery, now a museum, in Potsdam, Germany.
It shows the episode that gave rise to the term “Doubting Thomas” which, formally known as the Incredulity of Thomas, had been frequently represented in Christian art since at least the 5th century, and used to make a variety of theological points. According to St John’s Gospel, Thomas the Apostle missed one of Jesus’s appearances to the Apostles after His resurrection, and said “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” John 20:25. A week later Jesus appeared and told Thomas to touch Him and stop doubting. Then Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29.
In the painting, Thomas’s face shows surprise as Jesus holds his hand and guides it into the wound. The absence of a halo emphasizes the corporeality of the risen Christ. The work is in chiaroscuro.
About the Soundtrack
The Nativity Story is a 2006 American biblical drama film based on the nativity of Jesus, directed by Catherine Hardwicke and starring Keisha Castle-Hughes and Oscar Isaac. The film was released on December 1, 2006 after it premiered in Vatican City November 26, 2006. The Nativity Story was the first film to hold its world premiere in Vatican City.
Mychael Danna (born September 20, 1958) is a Canadian film score composer. He won both the Golden Globe and Oscar for Best Original Score for Life of Pi. He has also won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score) in his work on World Without End: Medieval Life and Death Part 1 and 2.