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Sophia

Creator: JOSH TIESSEN
Offered by: Rehs Contemporary Galleries, Inc.

Description
JOSH TIESSEN
Sophia
Oil on panel
24 inch diameter
Signed
$15,600.00

PROVENANCE
Josh Tiessen
Rehs Contemporary Galleries, Inc., New York City

NOTES
In the biblical book of Proverbs, we find four poems dedicated to Lady Wisdom. My interest was piqued when I read in chapter eight that this mysterious figure was the artisan at the Creator’s side, personifying the wise blueprint by which the cosmos was created. Wisdom is more than head knowledge. In Jewish wisdom literature it is better understood as practical knowledge and skill, extending even to botany and music [i].

A 12th century benedictine abbess and mystic named Hildegard of Bingen lived out this embodied wisdom. With deep respect for the Creator and creation, she was the first to study scientific natural history in Germany [ii]. Like the female artisan of Proverbs delighting in creation, Hildegard loved music. She pioneered the first known musical, allowing nuns under her care to perform moral plays, even letting down their hair and wearing colourful costumes.

I have drawn these strands of inspiration into my new muse, Sophia (Greek for wisdom). Here she is accompanied by a Marvelous Spatuletail. This endangered hummingbird, which only lives in the Andean forest of northern Peru, dons costume-like iridescent plumage and extravagant long tail feathers tipped with purple discs. The American Bird Conservancy has partnered with local Peruvians to create the Huembo Reserve to protect this unique species.

As I embark on a new painting series that will include Sophia’s adventures, I hope to show that now more than ever we must embody divine wisdom in our relationships with one another and with the earth that is our home.

[i] 1 Kings 4:31-34
[ii] Hildegard, Physica and Causae et Curae

More Information

Documentation:	Signed
Period:	New
Styles / Movements:	Contemporary
Incollect Reference #:	594948

Dimensions

Diam.	24 in;
Diam.	60.96 cm;

Message from Seller:

Rehs Contemporary is regarded as one of the top galleries in New York City and is a platform for new, emerging, and established contemporary artists; many of whom have received extensive academic training. The gallery offers high-quality works to art lovers of all kinds, from first-time buyers to major collectors.