Why did Rembrandt paint himself as the Prodigal Son? Why did Van
Gogh paint his ginger beard on Lazarus? Why did Caravaggio paint his own head
in the place of Goliath’s head?
All of these questions and more will be answered in Hope Channel
Australia’s new documentary series Masterstroke. The series examines
some of the most famous religious paintings in history and investigates the
artists’ motivations behind creating them.
“Much of this art was created in a period where many were
illiterate. It was used as a primary medium to convey understanding about God,”
said Neale Schofield, CEO of Adventist Media Network and host of Masterstroke.
“In this series, we use art as a springboard to delve into
spiritual themes. How to accept Christ, how to build faith, how to ask for
forgiveness, but most importantly, showing that God is love. That’s the big
picture.”
Six
episodes have already been produced, with another six due to be filmed at the
end of 2014.
Officials
at Hope Channel/U.S. say the series will also be scheduled in North America.
