The original large-scale work of art, The Betrothal of Mary and Joseph, was commissioned by Fr. Robert Clements, Chaplain of the All Saints Catholic Newman Center of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. At 24 feet high and 13 feet wide, the original work depicts the scene from the Gospel of Matthew.
The Betrothal of Mary and Joseph provides a beautiful model of marriage and the purity and faithfulness of its preparation. Inspired by the Beuronese School the work employs a substructure of sacred geometry, assisting the composition in providing quiet balance, order, and harmony. Muted colors and stylized figures avoid the imposition of a particular emotive experience, but draw the worshiper into participation in Christ’s self-offering in the Mass.
Betrothal of Mary and Joseph, by Ruth Stricklin, © 2018 New Jerusalem Studios, LLC.
