“The Windows Of Heaven”
{ A Certain Poor Widow }
Painted by Al Young
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And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
The story behind The Windows Of Heaven
In looking at the painting, the viewer must choose whether to focus upon splendor—and the richness of the gifts of wealth by which such buildings are made—or to focus upon the heart of one who gives all. No other figures appear in the painting because the viewer stands where the Savior stands in order to have the opportunity to see as He sees: For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)
No mention is made in the scriptures of the widow having had a son, but in this presentation of the story the child reminds us that when we tithe we dedicate our families and our lives to the Lord, and Heaven blesses them from generation to generation.
Symbolism in The Windows Of Heaven
To all who look on, contemplating such giving—particularly when not only livelihood but loved ones are at stake—the daunting prospect can appear to be but the first step along a corridor of want ending at a wall where even the window in it is walled up. Indeed, from the standpoint of the viewer, the colonnade at the left of the image appears as solid as a wall. Yet to venture even one small step along the path of faith is to stand in the warm and brilliant light pouring into every corner of one's life from the open windows of Heaven.
Having given all, the young widow looks with her son at the empty purse; a symbol of all they have left. But the purse cannot begin to contain the flood of light and life that now are theirs. And since the light pours in through a colonnade, there is no barrier betwixt them and Heaven in their life.
Copyright and terms of use
© By Al 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 »
Tags: Into The West, Spring Rain, North Country, The Grey Havens, Journey's End, Looking Back, Enchanted Stillness, Bedtime Story, In The High Valley, The Daydream, Before The Ball, Old Shannon, Pavane, Sweet Brier, Legend, Mountain Home, And I...
By Al R. Young
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2021 October 13... Read more »
By Al R. Young This original artwork is unavailable for purchase or viewing online because it and its copyright are exclusive to temples.
The Lord Hath Anointed Me (The Messiah) was painted by the artist in the studios at BenHaven. The completed painting was acquired by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for use in temples, and the Church also acquired all copy rights pertaining to the artwork.
Dimensions (unframed width x height)
30 in. x 51 3/4 in... Read more »
Tags: The Windows Of Heaven, 2015, Project commentaries, Tips and techniques
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 »
Tags: I Shall Be Whole, I Say Unto Thee, Arise, The Windows Of Heaven, The Miracle Of Forgiveness, What Is Truth, Under Whose Wings Thou Art Come To Trust, Unto The City Of David, A Damsel Came To Hearken, By The Wayside, Living Water, Waiting...
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
High-resolution digital copies are available from the Studios for use as illustrations. Use the serial number—appearing below the thumbnail—in requesting permission from the Studios (see links at the bottom of this page for detail).
The correct form of attribution when publishing an image is specified in the license agreement issued to the publisher by Al Young Studios.Guidelines for requests to copy or publish artworks created by the Artists of Al Young Studios
Guidelines for commissioning Al Young Studios to create illustrations
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The original image is available for sale, please contact us for details... Read more »
Tags: The Windows Of Heaven, 2010, People and Stories of the Bible
By Al R. Young The Windows Of Heaven 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: The Windows Of Heaven, 2010, Al R. Young, Legacy, News, Oil paintings and prints, The Messiah Art Collection, Women of the Bible Art Collection