“She Is Come Aforehand”
{ Mary of Bethany }
Painted by Elspeth Young
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And being in Bethany...
as [Jesus] sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head...
And Jesus said...
She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
The story behind She Is Come Aforehand
In the writings of Pliny the Elder, a contemporary of the era, we find an echo of the rebuke Judas offered in response to Mary's gift. Pliny describes the use of such perfumes as a "luxury" and, indeed, the "most superfluous of any" because such "unguents lost their odour in an instant, and die away the very hour they are used." He further declaims: "How, I should like to know, could a perfume be at all...productive of any kind of pleasure?" (Pliny 167-168).
The Savior's instant reproof of Judas silences any who wish to belittle the good we do, no matter how small, or simple, or seemingly frivolous or extravagant: "Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me" (Mark 14:6). No effort we make to reach out and bless others is ever wasted, for "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these...ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40). When we choose "that good part," as Mary did, the blessings and joys stemming from our service "shall not be taken away from [us]" (Luke 10:42).
Symbolism in She Is Come Aforehand
The clay vessel at Mary's feet symbolizes Mary's worth as a daughter of God. In the familiar words of Isaiah: "But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand" (Isaiah 64:8). Being "centered" on the Savior, as Mary was, means that we are at the center of the potter's wheel of this existence, with the result that the Lord can fashion us to be whole and useful.
The red robe encircling the figure represents the Atonement. The Hebrew word for Atonement and cloak, or covering is kaphar (see Olson 14). Mary is literally enfolded within the power of the Atonement to heal, to lift, inspire, and strengthen.
Lavender is popularly purported to be the spikenard with which Mary anointed the Savior's head and feet. Although ancient sources do not necessarily support this idea, John Gerard, in his Herbal published in 1633, refers to English lavender as "spike" of which a distillation of oil is made called the "oile of Spike" (Gerard 573).
Copyright and terms of use
© By Elspeth Young, All Rights Reserved. You may not print, copy, or reproduce this artwork or make derivative works from it without the prior written consent of the copyright holder. For permissions, please review our FAQ page.From the Newsroom
By Al R. Young
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We have framed our own artworks for more than 30 years, and during that time we have provided a variety of framing services to patrons upon request. For many reasons—including constant changes in the availability of moulding styles—we cannot offer off-the-shelf framing options or response times typically associated with such a service. Of necessity, all of our framing projects are aproached, priced, and billed as constuling projects... Read more »
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By Elspeth C. Young
the story in this painting
the creation of this paintingOriginal artworks produced by the Artists of Al Young Studios are part of themed collections because the Studios is organized after the pattern of the Renaissance workshops of the old masters. The Artists take the long view of their work as being a lifetime journey toward mastery of artistic expression through selected techniques, reaching as far back as the 16th century. Artists work as peers in an intensely creative community in which each artist pursues his or her own work as part of the group's philosophy... Read more »
Tags: She Is Come Aforehand, 2020, Exhibits
By Al R. Young Women of the New Testament by Camille Fronk Olson is the companion volume to Women of the Old Testament, published by Deseret Book in 2009.
The New Testament volume features fifty six illustrations from the Artists of Al Young Studios, listed here under the Studios' fine art collections and portfolios to which they belong.
From the Women of the Bible Fine Art CollectionFull-color details (cropped images) from the following 29 paintings appeared in the book (in the order in which they appear here)... Read more »
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By Al R. Young This blank-book journal sells for $32 (plus shipping) direct from Al Young Studios. Printed in full color on heavy paper, the book is bound with black plastic spiral to rest flat when open.
At Home: A Personal Journal features 128 original artworks consisting of 51 original oil paintings from the Artists of Al Young Studios, 44 images from the Studios' Limited Editions Collection, nine pen and ink drawings and block prints by Ashton, seven of Al's exquisitely crafted pencil drawings, and one lithograph from his private portfolios... Read more »
Tags: North Shore, Nasturtium, Wald Kirche, Scabiosa, Foxglove, Narcissus on beige paper, July, Columbine, Maine, Final Draft, Unfurling, Back Shore, Summer's End, Gifts of Morn, Black-eyed Susan, Land's End, Solitude, The Limberlost, Perdita,
By Al R. Young This blank-book journal sells for $32 (plus shipping) direct from Al Young Studios. Printed in full color on heavy paper, the book is bound with black plastic spiral to rest flat when open.
Inspirations features 163 artworks along with 53 commentaries—written by the Artists of Al Young Studios especially for this journal—on such topics as their creative process, the creative environment of the Studios, technical approaches to their artwork, and inspiration from the works of other artists... Read more »
Tags: Untitled, In the Clearing, Anne Girl, Spring Rain, Journey's End, Enchanted Stillness, Bedtime Story, In The High Valley, Mountain Home, And I Will Not Deny The Christ, Sara Crewe, And My Soul Hungered, 3.00.0246.010, The Road To Melek, We...
By Al R. Young The 2011 Calendar: Women of the New Testament, published by Deseret Book, featured 13 original oil paintings from Al Young Studios, ten by Elspeth Young and three by Al R. Young. Twelve of the paintings are part of Al Young Studios' Women of the Bible Fine Art Collection. One painting is part of The Messiah Collection.
Commentaries (in the calendar) accompanying each painting provide a reference passage from the Bible, a summary of the character featured in the painting, and an artist's commentary concerning the painting itself... Read more »
Tags: I Shall Be Whole, One By One, The Windows Of Heaven, Living Water, The Substance Of Hope, Forsaking All, Blessed Is She That Believed, As It Began To Dawn, According To Thy Word, She Worketh Willingly With Her Hands, And Martha Served, She...
By Al R. Young
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The original image is available for sale, please contact us for details... Read more »
Tags: She Is Come Aforehand, 2010, People and Stories of the Bible
By Al R. Young She Is Come Aforehand is the newest oil painting to be added to the line of original artworks from Al Young Studios.
Click here to see a larger image of the new painting, read the artist's commentary, and look at the selection of prints--if any are available.... Read more »
Tags: She Is Come Aforehand, 2010, Elspeth C. Young, Legacy, News, Oil paintings and prints, The Messiah Art Collection, Women of the Bible Art Collection