Lecture on the Painting "Portrait of God"

Introduction

• Discussion about perceptions of God's appearance.
• Introduction of a painting entitled "Portrait of God."

Observations of the Painting

• Initial reaction: appears black or empty to most viewers.
• Some individuals claim to see a figure within the darkness.

Description of the Figure

• Described consistently by different people as:
  • A man or resembling a man.
  • Wrinkled and very skinny.
  • Smiling or grinning with wide, smudged corners of lips, similar to a mask.
  • Large eyes with a glint or speckle of light.
• Figure perceived as looking down lovingly.

Emotional Responses

• Descriptions can be unsettling or frightening.
• Power and presence are overwhelming yet described as beautiful.

Interpretation and Mystery

• Speculation on whether the image is a trick of the light or a true religious experience.
• Questioning why the figure appears to some viewers and not others.

Conclusion

• The lecture concludes by questioning once again what God looks like and inviting viewers to observe the painting for themselves.