THE STRUGGLE OF JACOB the-struggle-of-jacob | Page 34

René Magritte, 1948
Roy Lichtenstein, 1965
Of course, what defines the visual arts is the image in itself. The
insertion of a text is absolutely optional. On the contrary, the
writing in a picture should be interpreted primarily as figures, as
integral visual elements of the composition. Then, as signs, they
have their own particular symbolic value: a color provokes an
emotion, a spatial depth reveals unexpected dimensions to us,
an original configuration expands the mental structure and
a text opens up a fan of evocative, poetic and intellectual
references.
In the case of this triptych, the writing notes the three decisive
moments of the narrative with the Latin text of the Bible
(extracted from the Nova Vulgata promulgated by Pope Paul VI).
He was alone and a man struggled with him until the breaking of
the dawn.
“Tell me, what is your given name”, “Why do you ask me my
name?”