The speared side of the master

Western artists started to break away from the taboo that holy objects should not be replicated. ‘The Incredulity of Saint Thomas’ by Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio is a good example.

The painting is based on the theme of “Doubting Thomas,” one of Jesus' 12 disciples, described in the Gospel of John. Thomas learns about the resurrection of Jesus but refuses to believe it. “Unless I see for myself the marks of the nails in His hands and put my fingers into the prints of the nails, and put my hands into His sides, I will never believe,” he said. This is because Thomas valued reason and experience. Eight days later, Jesus appears and tells him, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” That is the end of the story.

In the ‘Gospel of John,' it does not say that Thomas put his hand on the wound though it quotes Jesus’ words to do so. “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” As Jesus suggests, Thomas would have resolved his doubts simply by looking at him. Therefore, Caravaggio was painting what had not been described by the gospel.

In the painting, Thomas places his index finger into his teacher's side to check if it is real. His eyes are staring so hard that his forehead is wrinkled. The other two disciples appear the same. Jesus, who holds his head low, touches Thomas's right hand with his left, and it is unclear whether he is pushing the disciple's finger into the wound or holding it to prevent it from going in. He looks sad and worn out, perhaps because his disciples have refused to believe him.

Though it is still questionable why the painter had to create such a painting, Caravaggio thrusts the painting to us, showing that Thomas who had to touch Jesus' nail-pierced hands and the speared side to believe is actually a reflection of no other than us.