Suffer Little Children...

I don't know how "Agent B related" this topic is...but I want to share...

Both Agent Wife & I had an extreme reaction to a painting we stumbled across in Houston's Museum of Fine Arts about 4 years ago.

"Suffer Little Children..." (1884) by Fritz Von Uhde slapped us dumbfounded, I suppose. The original (probably 3'X5') depicts Jesus in what looks like a 'modern day' (1880's) peasant school house. He is surrounded by poverty-looking kids while their shy parents stand humbly in the background. Jesus looks so inviting, non-critical...comforting.

I like art and all, but never have I wanted to stare at 1 piece for such a long time. It seemed so...un-religious...while placed in the blatently religious section (you know...paintings of saint-types with glowing lights behind their heads). I could actually see myself purchasing this work if I had the $, and if it were for sale.

The story behind it's initial reception is even better. German painter Von Uhde, an obscure sidenote in art history, was highly criticized by the religious people and clergy of his day. People were offended that their "savior" was depicted with ragamuffin, dirty children who they saw everyday running their streets. I believe Von Uhde avoided Jesus as his subject from then on.

This painting really 'spoke' to Agent Wife & I in our arena of life as well as the way we planned to live. A year later we returned to HMFA to find that the painting was on loan somewhere with no expected return date. We finally had the bright idea to look for a print for sale on the internet. Unfortunately there are about 8 paintings in art history with the same name. We managed to find only 1 small print of the Von Uhde which we proudly display in our house today. And I don't usually like art prints. I'd rather have real hand-made art by real people I know.

Words still can't describe...