Ron Richmond (b. 1963), 'Triplus, Number 3,' 2005, Oil on Canvas, 51 x 75 Inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by Lewis and Gail Burnham, 2007. Featured in the Exhibition Of Souls and Sacraments.
“Symbolism can connect us to the divine,” artist Ron Richmond assures us. In his work Triplus, Number 3, Richmond presents many spiritual symbols. The stark contrast of the white cloth on the red suggests the complete transformation possible through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Three vessels – one of water, another of blood, and another seemingly empty – represent the ability to be born again through baptism, Christ’s redeeming blood, and the Holy Spirit. In this painting, Richmond invites us to contemplate the sacred gift of repentance and the Holy One who made it possible.
This painting is currently on exhibition in Of Souls and Sacraments: Symbol and Context in Christian Art.
Written by Guest author and Curatorial fellow: Erin Eastmond