PORTRAIT OF THE SON

An allegorical tale equates a father’s love for his son with God’s love for Jesus.

An elderly man loves only his son more than his immense art collection. The two enjoy it together, imagining themselves in the scenes and intervening in the lives of portrait subjects. When war (presumably World War I) breaks out, the son buoys the spirits of his fellow soldiers in the trenches with stories of life in his father’s mansion. Three days after the son’s death, the father receives a naïvely painted portrait of his son, the face bearing the marks of war. The father gives it the place of honor over the hearth, and, years later, when he auctions off his entire collection, it is this portrait that starts the bidding—to the horror of the rich collectors who want the masterpieces. The sole bidder, a recipient of the father’s charity, offers $7, all he has. And thus ends the auction, for “according to the wishes of the father, whoever takes the son, gets everything.” Nobisso and Schluenderfritz pack the book with Roman Catholic references and allusions that readers may still be discovering after several readings (the backs of the cover flaps explain them all). The illustrations use facial expression, body language, perspective, and the smudginess of their media to marvelous effect. All the people depicted are White. Those with backgrounds in the faith will best appreciate/understand this tale.

A Catholic allegory of Jesus’ life that’s packed with references.