"Divine Menagerie" Painting

"Divine Menagerie" 36x24 m/m Mati Russo The final meal of Jesus and his disciples has been depicted many times by various artists, the most famous being “The Last Supper” by Leonardo de Vinci. I have used this subject to call attention to the contradictions and hypocrisies not of Jesus or his teachings but of those who claim to be his followers, especially in these times of environmental, financial and spiritual crisis. According to the Bible, man was given dominion over the earth. Unfortunately many of the “religious” have interpreted this to mean that the earth, its resources and occupants are theirs to do with as they please rather then being good stewards of the planet entrusted to them by their god. We have seen this concept used to justify cruel and irresponsible treatment of God’s other creatures, to deny basic rights to the less fortunate and even as a justification for such abhorrent practices as slavery. Today we see many religious mindsets denying the crisis of our planets health brought on by the excesses of human lifestyle and activities because it would mean taking responsibility for our own actions rather then transferring all responsibility into the “hands of god”, denying completely any possibility of a climate change brought on by human behavior. Many unfortunate caught in financial desperation due to an excessive and out of balance financial system beyond their control are cast as useless, lazy or even evil by those who follow a spiritual figure who reached out to the prostitutes, the social outcasts, the lepers, a man who said blessed are the meek, blessed are the poor in spirit, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, when you help the least among you, you help me. Many of the followers of Jesus have been the largest proponents in decimating the social networks established to help the most vulnerable among us and treating the homeless as a social disease rather then a challenge to be faced using the principals set forth by Jesus himself. The creatures they claim were created by their god (the science of evolution set forth by a very pious god-fearing Darwin treated as an apostasy) they treat with less then disdain. Their habitats are destroyed without care or thought for personal financial gain (despite Jesus’ abhorrence of the money changers). Animals are held prisoner in sunless warehouses and processed for financial gain, a process not only extremely cruel for the animals but questionably healthy for the humans who consume the animal products these mega food farms create. With the knowledge we now have about diet and what is good and bad for the human body, it is ignorant bordering on criminal that attempts by our current first lady to lead children away from obesity are mocked and treated with disdain. “The Divine Menagerie” ridicules neither Jesus nor his disciples, the last supper of the gospels of Christ or the gospels or any of the works of art inspired by the last supper. It points its finger squarely at the glaring hypocrisies of those who hide behind the name of a spiritual leader who teachings they are too lazy and selfish to follow. Mati Russo

Painting:Acrylic on Canvas

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:24 W x 36 H x 1 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.