Black is the color of my true love’s hair.is the opening of an old popular song wherein a love describes his lady love. But if the object of his affections were a red head, or an amber toned brunette, would his flame throb weaker and his praise sound just a little off key? And suppose, the lover was a priest or a preacher and the object of his affections was Jesus… Would it make a difference what the color of Jesus’ hair was or whether Jesus had an upturned nose or no nose at all? Some interpretations of the Gospels do not even ascribe a corporal vessel to the Son of God, but make him an idea, a message. The beauty of Christ is that the message of love depends not on physical characteristics, but on a sentiment of brotherhood. That apparently escaped a would be anthropologist a week ago, currently suing the Metropolitain Museum for portraying Christ as a blond, likewise his mother and father. The outraged museum goer is more than certain that Christ had bronze skin and dark curly hair. Reports the New York Post: « According to the lawsuit, Joseph felt ‘stressed’ by ‘the implication that someone who possesses physical features like the plaintiff could not be the important historical and public figure of Jesus Christ.’ Viewing the paintings ’caused the plaintiff to feel, among other things, rejected and unaccepted by society,’ court documents charge.
Joseph said he was suing the museum under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He told The Post the painters ‘completely changed [Jesus’s] race to make him more aesthetically pleasing for white people.’
« The Met is standing by its display of the paintings, citing historical importance. » ‘When they were painted, it was typical for artists to depict subjects with the same identity as the local audience,’ Met spokeswoman Elyse Topalian said. “This phenomenon occurs in many other cultures, as well.”
Since when does the CR Act of 1964 cover Renaissance painting? Since when does an emblematic museum do a nicey-nice act citing « other cultures. » which, by the way, are amply represented in its confines? Justin Joseph (I love the last name, by the way, Fate at work?) knows something we don’t, like the physical appearance of Jesus?