Nature as Divine Iconography

Art often seeks to answer the big questions of the human experience in ways that words cannot. The great communicative power of art enables artists to make statements about human life and death, and God. As a result, a great deal of art provides insight into the artist's view of the nature of God and how God relates to humans. A quick survey of art by several artists from different worldviews and cultural contexts reveals as many philosophies of deity as there are works to study. This survey also reveals a common cross-cultural and timeless iconography that artists use to communicate these philosophies. It seems likely that this iconography is often used as a matter of course, and perhaps sometimes even evades the detection of the artist. In general, natural elements seem to serve as a stand-in for deity, and human works or humans themselves represent humanity. The philosophy of the artist (and his/her culture) can be derived from the relationship between humanity and nature shown in the art. This may seem straightforward, but as you will see in this exhibition, many different gods are represented by nature, and many different relationships are represented by the posture that humans take towards the natural world.

Asher Brown Durand, Landscape—Scene from "Thanatopsis," 1850

Oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 11.156

Asher Durand’s Scene from “Thanatopsis”  is packed with points of interaction between nature and humanity. At first glance, the scene seems to be completely dominated by natural elements, but upon closer observation, the viewer notices a shepherd, a burial, tombstones, a skull, a cathedral, and a castle. Each of these things is completely dwarfed by the majesty of the nature that surrounds it. In this painting, nature is the master of all things human, and therefore takes the place of God. A human living in Asher B. Durand’s world is best off trying to coexist with nature, while being at peace with the fact that it will ultimately claim even the greatest of human works. 

John Frederick Kensett, Lake George, 1869

Oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 15.30.61

John Frederick Kensett, another member of the Hudson River School, has a slightly more peaceful conception of nature as a deity. Once again, at first glance the painting appears completely dominated by nature. Actually, there is one point of interaction between humanity and nature in this painting. Just below the most prominent Island, there is a human (perhaps a Native American) in a canoe, literally overshadowed by the visual weight of the island. Kensett depicts humanity in harmony with nature. Nature is still deified, but this human is not trying to impose his or her will on nature. 

Claude Monet, Garden at Sainte-Adresse, 1867

 Oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 67.241

Monet has a significantly different perspective. In his painting Garden at Sainte-Adresse, Monet depicts humanity as the master of nature. This could be interpreted in several ways. Monet was a Catholic, and the 1860s were a time of crisis for Catholics, as conflict in Italy threatened the Pope’s political power. Because Monet was painting during a time of innovation and technological advancement, it is possible that in this painting Monet is demonstrating the mastery of man over God, or the lack of God as a necessity in his modern time. All nature in the painting is controlled and utilized for the benefit and pleasure of humanity.

John Constable, Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Grounds, 1825

Oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 50.145.8

John Constable’s Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop’s Grounds depicts a pastoral scene outside of a cathedral. This painting shows God and humanity in symbiosis. The natural foreground of trees and cows provides its blessing to the cathedral by acting as a visual frame. The cathedral, a work of man, is honoring to God by the nature of its purpose. Each of these two elements complements the other. The humans in the scene are depicted as being outside observers of this symbiosis, much like the viewer. There is a sense in which it seems that these humans view themselves as responsible for the harmony. This seems congruent with the optimistic content of the painting, as in all likelihood, this is not an reliable depiction of what life in 1825 was like for most people. Perhaps like Monet, Constable places too much credit on the shoulders of humanity. 

Caspar David Friedrich, Eastern Coast of Rügen Island with Shepherd, 1805-6

Sepia colored ink, sepia colored wash, white gouache and graphite on off-white wove paper, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2002.260

Caspar Friedrich seems to be ahead of his time, as his conception of the relationship between God and man is strongly reminiscent of the Hudson River School painters. In Eastern Coast of Rugen Island with Shepherd, Friedrich depicts a human who recognizes the authority of God (nature) by living in accordance with nature, rather than trying to impose his will on it. The scene is dominated by a natural landscape. A shepherd and his dog stand in the scene. No other signs of human impact are depicted, other than perhaps some tilled farmland on the right side of the work. Close observation reveals the existence of a single sheep on the left side of the work. It seems odd that this shepherd and dog have only one sheep to watch, unless you consider that this is a part of the conceptual submission of the farmer to nature.

Osservanza Master, Saint Anthony the Abbot in the Wilderness, 15th century

Tempera and gold on wood, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1975.1.27

Even in much older works, the interaction between humanity and nature proves important in understanding the artist's understanding of God. In the case of Saint Anthony the Abbot in the Wilderness, even the title is important. In the Bible, prophets often retreat into the wilderness to develop a closer connection with God. Here, St. Anthony is seen as deriving some of his piety from his isolation and his decision to be in the wilderness. In addition, humanity and nature are seen to be in symbiosis, much like in Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Grounds. St. Anthony has retreated into the wilderness, but the church is not far behind him, and is in harmony with its surroundings. 

Wu Bin, The Sixteen Luohans, 1583–1626

 Handscroll; ink and color on paper, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1986.266.4

In The Sixteen Luohans, Wu Bin unsurprisingly conveys the most unique relationship between God and humanity. If we understand nature to represent God, then nature is bestowing deity in this painting. The narrative of the painting seems to be that the standing figure has come to consult with the seated figure. Consider what the painting would look like without the tree which frames the seated figure. Without the tree, the seated figure loses his authority, and (through that loss) his connection to deity.