From Tarshish To Nineveh

In this painting, inspired by a passage from the Bible (Book of Jonah), a white sail rises against a dark, almost nocturnal atmosphere, despite a veil of turquoise-blue sky on the horizon. The vivid colors—blazing reds intertwined with flashes of turquoise—reflect the inner turmoil of Jonah as he flees the divine call. The boat seems to merge with a gaping mouth, half-ship, half-whale, symbolizing the fate that swallows those who turn away from their mission. Yet, light persists in the distance: a reflection of mercy patiently waiting to lift up anyone willing to return. Here, the sea becomes both judge and refuge, the stage for a trial that transforms. Flight leads to the storm, the storm to repentance, and repentance to the conversion of an entire people. This painting reminds us that our refusals and detours are not without purpose—they can open paths we never imagined. What if our wanderings are also part of the Creator’s mysterious plan?