Resilient Hope

this is an unusual painting …

Having spend years in faith and wellbeing settings I’m used to Hope being talked up in very bullish terms. Hope is visionary, joyful, expansive, strong. Yet when I saw this painting for the first time I was captivated by it.

Hope by George Frederick Watts was painted in 1886. He was seeking a different view of hope and so depicts a woman, seated on the globe but blindfolded. Her lyre has only one string unbroken. Apparently many at the time wanted to re-title the picture ‘despair.’ Others saw it as a master-piece.

What sort of hope is this?

On one hand all looks lost for this woman and this world that Watts depicted. Blind, alone and hardly with a string left to play. Hope here might not be expectant.

Yet, hope still exists. That one string is still left. The lady hasn’t yet begun to sing. Whilst there’s life there is … apparently hope.

As I reflected on the painting the question arose in my mind what I thought hope was. I believe hope is vital because it gives me the ability to see beyond pain and difficulty into the future. It doesn’t remove the pain or suffering but it says they’ll be another day.

As I pondered Watts’ painting I felt more comfortable with it. Another day will come, even if its with one string and blindfolded. This is a resilient hope. I choose to hope.

Spend some time looking at the image.

1. What does it say to you?

2. What sort of hope does it speak of to you? Do you recognise that sort of hope?

3. What strength can this sort of hope give you for today and going forward?

You can find more about Hope and George Frederick Watts at the Tate website.

Picture from Wikimedia Commons.