Begotten
BY: Richard III
(2013 - 2026)
Begotten
By: Richard III
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Panel
Dimensions: 24in x 30in
Year: 2013-2026
Status: Private Collection / Unavailable
Begotten:
Begotten stands as a profound masculine introspection and a direct chronological successor to the themes explored in A Child Is Born. While previous works centered on the physical miracle of birthing and the "Gospel of the Mother," this canvas pivots to look outwardly toward the heavens to capture the divine archetype of God the Father offering His only begotten Son. The central figure emerges from a shadowed, textured background representing Tohu va-Bohu—the biblical formless chaos. This infant is depicted as the literal manifestation of the command "Let there be light," glowing with an ethereal blue radiance that suggests a pre-incarnate, celestial presence established before the foundation of the world. The oversized hands cradling the infant represent a heavy realization for the artist regarding the nature of fatherhood. Rather than a simple gesture of protection, these hands reflect the agonizing concept of release. Just as the Father in Heaven gave His Son to the world, the earthly father must eventually open his hands and give his sons away to the harshness of the world we live in, to ridicule, to persecution, and the cold reality of adulthood. The hands are a vessel of transition, acknowledging that to "give" a son is to surrender him to a world that may not be kind to him. This mirrors the subtle cross looming behind the infant’s head, signifying that the gift of life is inextricably linked to a path of sacrifice.
Originally started in 2013 as an immediate reflection on the birth of the artist's second son, the canvas remained an open, unfinished work for over a decade—a state that long reflected a life and a family still being built and defined. When the artist finally returned to the canvas to bring it to completion in 2026, the full weight of that twelve-year journey infused the piece with a vastly deeper spiritual meaning. The passing of time transformed the narrative from a celebration of early fatherhood into a sacred, dual exchange of total surrender. To seal this completion, the artist utilized a scarification technique, braising scriptural text directly into the void of the background. These embossed verses act as spiritual masonry, providing a tactile texture to the shadows without diminishing the depth of the background. This process represents the Word being present in a secretive manner, much like raised scars on the painted surface—a physical testimony to a decade of growth and fresh perspective. Ultimately, the completed work mirrors a profound circle of faith: just as the Heavenly Father released His only begotten Son as a gift to mankind, the earthly father must open his hands and surrender his own child back to God, choosing to place absolute trust in the divine to cover, protect, and carry them through the world.
Original: $5,400
Studio Embellished Reproduction: $2,700
Gallery Canvas Reproduction: $1,450
Fine Art Paper Reproduction: $540