CZECH REPUBLIC: A painting of Jesus with mysterious eyes that appear both open and closed, awaits a buyer in a Czech Gallery

Record ID: 594039

  • Title: CZECH REPUBLIC: A painting of Jesus with mysterious eyes that appear both open and closed, awaits a buyer in a Czech Gallery
  • Date: 21st December 2006
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF OLDRICH WORKING AT HIS DESK (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) GALLERY OWNER, OLDRICH KLIMA, SAYING: "Looking closely you can see that he has his eyes closed. But, when you step backwards, you can clearly see that he is looking at you."
  • Embargoed: 5th January 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Czech Republic
  • Country: Czech Republic
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA2BZICXXXEJU1RY2181EK59JHP
  • Story Text: Oldrich Klima, opened his "Gallery of Handicrafts" in Pilsen about a year ago and in doing so found a mysterious painting of Jesus Christ.
    Trained as a cabinet maker, the gallery focuses on furniture, homeware, ceramics, glass and art photography. So, when a salesman e-mailed him a photograph of a painting of Jesus Christ, Klima was taken aback but intrigued.
    The painting looked at him in a strange way, but Klima agreed to take the painting and try and sell it in his gallery.
    The painting of Jesus Christ was made by an unknown artist some 150 years ago. Originally made for a church, it is painted in oils and has a valuable frame. The owner, who wished to remain anonymous, inherited the painting.
    The painting's mystery lies in its eyes, which appear to be both open and closed. Using 'op art', a technique that creates an optical illusion by deceiving the brain, the artist has painted the eys so that on close inspection they appear to be closed. But when the viewer stands further away the eyes appear open.
    "Looking closely you can see that he has his eyes closed. But, when you step backwards, you can clearly see, that he is looking at you," Klima said.
    Some people even say the painting blinks at them.
    "Three people tried to catch him blinking. They did signs with their hands and when one moved its hand, the other two said, he blinked at them at the same time," Klima said.
    Klima also believes in the blinking theory and said he tried and succeeded in making the image blink.
    "It is really mysterious and I like these things. All people who has seen the painting agree, there is something deep inside of it. And there are people, who come back to see the painting," Klima said.
    But some have mixed feelings about the artwork. One sensitive woman who came to see the painting said, that with closed eyes she could see an angel, but with open eyes a devil.
    "People react very differently; positive or negative. When I first saw him, I was horrified. Now being with him for a longer time I have quite a friendly relation with him. His countenance is absolutely not evil. There are features of goodness and now I don't see anything bad about him," said Klima.
    The mysterious Jesus painting in Pilsen is still searching for a buyer. The price starts at 10.000 Czech Crowns (EUR 350).
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