The Tempest

The Tempest

In Central Park there is a statue. There are many statues, all throughout Central Park and New York City. The statue that I am speaking about shows a scene from The Tempest, the Shakespeare work. It sits outside a theater in Central park at about 80^th street, the statue shows the emotion, mystery, and message of a religious artifact. Sitting near this statue it is easy to think of Shakespeare’s writing as distant, separate from the lives of New Yorkers, and certainly not of religious significance… However in this statue, like any work of art, in the opinion of historical New Yorker Henry Ward Beecher, “the element of beauty is organic, creative, and divine (Page 217, in “Religion and The Beautiful”, 1864)

So, taking Beecher’s advice, I sit and think about the art of The Tempest. It is interesting to think of the parallels between religion and art, in how they are interpreted, in how they are lasting.

Even though the statue does not have overt religious symbolism, it is certainly brings up biblical and historical comparisons. 

The Laocoon statuary came to mind, (picture from Wikipedia), as did the story of Abraham and Isaac.

 Genesis 22:2 says :”Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you”.

The ability of Abraham to sacrifice his son to God can be contrasted to the display of Prospero to shield his daughter in the statue. Prospero and his daughter Miranda represent a familial ideal in The Tempest, a statue-worthy concept that was certainly considered when the statue was put in.

Art and religion often seek to show a version of the world that is to be emulated, and in this sculpture, the emotion and fatherly role of Prospero, as well as the beauty and serenity of the public art, are all positive sources of emulation.

Art and beauty serve an interesting function within religion, and certainly a varied function as well. In the religion of my youth, a iron-pressed-pants Evangelical Christian Conservatism, Art is a rarity in houses, churches and services. In the traditional Catholic experience, imagery and beauty are important facets of any religious service. Sitting here in Central park it is easy to be caught up in the experience of New York; a place with long histories and beautiful statues, but also, and perhaps more importantly, a place with millions of humans live and work. Each of these humans experience religious events and milestones, whether to convert, commit, detach, or adapt to a religious tradition.

Art, likewise, plays a role in each of these millions of people’s lives. Whether on subway-stop walls, or in the well-put-together galleries off 6^th avenue, Art shapes the way individuals look at the world.

Importantly, the role of art, especially public art, in this religious journey cannot be understated. Art is certainly a supplement to religion in many traditions, and just as the image of God on the Sistine Chapel ceiling supplements the of god in each of our heads, the image of Prospero as a father and protector supplements the image of fatherhood in our collective imagining when looking at this statue.