Marcus Chen
The Divine Mercy is an iconic image of Christ, with rays of red and white pouring from his heart, and was first painted in 1934 by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski under the supervision of Sister Faustina. Faustina had visions of Jesus and was instructed by him to create an image and share his revelations of love and mercy with the world. The painting was originally hung in a church in Vilnius, Lithuania, but it was hidden during World War II when Lithuania was under Soviet occupation. It was rediscovered and restored in 2003, and now hangs in the Cathedral in Vilnius. Over the years, several other artists have created copies of the painting, and it has been reproduced in various forms, including prints and prayer cards.
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What You'll Learn
The original Divine Mercy painting
Faustina had visions of Jesus, who asked her to create an image of him and share his revelations of love and mercy with the world. In her diary, she wrote about her visions and conversations with Jesus, including his instructions to "paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You". Faustina was instrumental in making adjustments with the painter, and the painting was funded by her spiritual director and confessor, The Ven. Fr. Michael Sopocko.
The painting depicts Christ with his right hand raised as if giving a blessing and the left touching his chest. Two rays, one pale and one red, descend from his heart, signifying water and blood, as Jesus explained to Faustina. The painting also shows Jesus wearing priestly vestments, indicating that he is either about to pray or is praying the Mass.
The original painting was hung in the Church of St. Michael in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1937. However, during World War II, the church was closed, and the painting was lost for decades. It was eventually rediscovered and restored, and now hangs in the Cathedral in Vilnius, Lithuania, faithfully restored to its original colours and contours. Despite some believing that the painting did not adequately capture the beauty of Jesus as Faustina had described him, it has become a revered image, with prints available for purchase.
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Artist Eugene Kazimierowski
The original Divine Mercy painting was created by the Polish painter Eugene Kazimierowski (also known as Marcin Eugeniusz Kazimirowski) in 1934. It was based on a request from Faustyna Kowalska (St. Faustina) and her confessor, Michael Sopoćko (Fr. Sopocko). St. Faustina, a young Polish nun, had visions of Jesus and was directed by him to create an image of him along with his message of love and mercy.
Kazimierowski studied painting at the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts from 1892 to 1897 and continued his studies in Munich, Paris, and Rome. He was a member of the realism movement and is known for his landscapes and portraits. After World War I, he moved from Kraków to Vilnius, where he taught at the Vilnius Teacher Training Institute and worked on theatrical design.
The original Divine Mercy painting was first shown in public at the Easter ceremonies of April 25-28, 1934, and the first Mass with the image was celebrated by Rev. Michael Sopoćko at the Gate of Dawn church in Vilnius on April 28, 1935, the second Easter Sunday. The painting depicts Christ with his right hand raised in blessing and the left touching his chest, with two rays, one pale and one red, descending from his heart.
Despite Kazimierowski's efforts, some believe that his painting did not fully capture the beauty and expression that St. Faustina described in her visions. For example, the rays of light seem to flow straight down instead of towards the viewer, and Christ's gaze is directly at the viewer instead of slightly downward, as Faustina had insisted. Nevertheless, the painting holds significant religious value and currently hangs in the Cathedral in Vilnius, Lithuania, where it has been faithfully restored to its original colours and contours. Prints of this version are also available from the Divine Mercy Gift Shop.
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St. Faustina's influence
St. Faustina Kowalska, a young Polish nun born in the early 20th century, had visions of Jesus and received revelations of his love and mercy. In one such vision, Jesus instructed her to "paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You". St. Faustina, also known as the "Apostle of Divine Mercy", played an instrumental role in the creation of the original Divine Mercy painting. She worked closely with the artist, Eugene Kazimierowski (or Eugene Kazimirowski), to ensure that the painting accurately depicted her visions. However, she was initially disappointed with the final result, as she felt it did not capture the true beauty and glory of Jesus.
The influence of St. Faustina can also be seen in the various renditions and interpretations of the Divine Mercy image. While the original painting by Kazimierowski is considered significant, several artists have created their own versions in an attempt to more accurately represent the visions described by St. Faustina. For instance, an artist named Hyla painted a version during World War II to express gratitude for the preservation of himself and his family. This version was well-received by devotees of The Divine Mercy, as it better captured certain elements of St. Faustina's visions, such as the direction of the rays of light.
Furthermore, St. Faustina's influence can be seen in the establishment of shrines and places of worship dedicated to the Divine Mercy. The original image of the Merciful Jesus, painted under her direction, was hung in the Church of St. Michael in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1937. This image was hidden and preserved during World War II and the Soviet occupation, and it now hangs in the Cathedral in Vilnius. Additionally, the cult of Divine Mercy became popular in Poland, leading to the construction of the Basilica of Divine Mercy in Krakow, Poland. St. Faustina's influence has thus played a pivotal role in shaping devotion to the Divine Mercy and has helped spread Jesus' message of love and mercy throughout the world.
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The painting's disappearance and rediscovery
The original Divine Mercy painting was created in 1934 by Eugene Kazimierowski (or Eugeniusz Kazimirowski) under the direction of Saint Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun who had visions of Jesus. Saint Faustina was instrumental in making adjustments with the painter to ensure the painting matched her visions. However, she was not pleased with the final result as it did not capture the beauty and glory of Jesus as she had seen him.
The painting was first displayed in a small chapel of the Mother of Mercy in Vilnius, Lithuania. In 1937, it was hung next to the main altar in the Church of St. Michael in Vilnius. During World War II, Lithuania came under Soviet occupation, and in 1948, the Church of St. Michael was closed by the communist government, leading to the painting's disappearance. It was hidden and lost for decades. In the meantime, another image was made in the 1940s by a different artist to promote the Divine Mercy, which became well-known.
The original painting was eventually rediscovered and restored within the last 15 to 20 years. In 2003, professional restorer Edita Hankovska-Cervinska removed traces of previous preservations and repainting, restoring the painting to its original state from 1934. On September 28, 2005, the image was transferred to the restored Blessed Trinity Church in Vilnius, which became known as the Shrine of The Divine Mercy.
Today, the original Divine Mercy painting hangs in the Cathedral in Vilnius, Lithuania, and has been faithfully restored to its original colours and contours. It remains a sacred image for devotees of the Divine Mercy, despite some deviations from Saint Faustina's visions.
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Other interpretations
The Divine Mercy is an iconic image of Christ, with rays of red and white pouring from his heart. It is also associated with St. Faustina, who is called the "Apostle of Divine Mercy". St. Faustina, a young Polish nun, had visions of Jesus and was directed by him to create an image and share the revelations of his love and mercy with the world. She wrote about her visions in her diary, called "Divine Mercy in My Soul".
The original image of Divine Mercy was painted by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski in 1934. However, St. Faustina was not pleased with the painting as it did not capture the beauty and magnificence of the Jesus she had seen in her visions. Jesus then told her that the greatness of the painting did not lie in its aesthetics but in his grace.
Over the years, several other artists have created copies and interpretations of the original Divine Mercy painting. Some people believe that the original image was hidden during World War II and lost for decades, leading to the creation of another image in the 1940s. This second image became more well-known than the original. Additionally, as the cult of Divine Mercy became popular in Poland, artists in Lithuania, where the original painting remained, also created copies to meet the demand for images of the Merciful Jesus.
One notable difference between the original painting and some of the copies is the depiction of Christ's wounds and the Sacred Heart. In the original Kazimirowski painting, there is no visible Sacred Heart, and the rays emanate from Christ's chest. However, in some interpretations, the rays emanate from the Sacred Heart, and Christ's wounds are visible.
Another interpretation of the Divine Mercy is a painting by an artist named Hyla, who gifted it to the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland during World War II. This version was favoured by some devotees as it better depicted the merciful nature of Christ.
The image of Divine Mercy has also been interpreted in other forms of art, such as prints, prayer cards, and large framed prints. These interpretations allow people to venerate the image in their homes and create a personal connection with Christ's mercy.
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Frequently asked questions
The original Divine Mercy painting was created in 1934 by Eugene Kazimierowski under the supervision of Sister Faustina. It was repainted by professional restorer Edita Hankovska-Cervinska in 2003 to remove traces of previous repainting and is now exactly as it was in 1934.
The painting was first repainted by an unknown artist, which led to multiple versions of the painting. This was because Sister Faustina was unhappy with the original painting, believing it did not capture the beauty of Jesus as she had seen him.
Yes, an artist named Hyla created a version during World War II to thank God for preserving him and his family. This version was preferred by some devotees as it better captured the merciful expression they desired. Another notable version was painted by an artist named Skemp, which became the most popular version in the Philippines.
The original painting hangs in the Cathedral in Vilnius, Lithuania. It has been faithfully restored and is available as prints from the Divine Mercy Gift Shop.
