Ongelovige Thomas 1857 - 1914

Nikolay Semyonovich Mosolov created this artwork, Ongelovige Thomas, rendering a powerful moment of faith and doubt through the figures of Christ and Thomas. The key symbol here is the act of touching Christ's wounds, an intimate gesture representing Thomas's demand for empirical proof of the Resurrection. We see this motif echoed in numerous artworks across centuries, where physical contact serves as a potent symbol of verification or divine connection. Consider the ancient Roman depictions of emperors being touched by gods as a means of legitimizing power, or even pre-Christian rituals involving physical contact with sacred objects. This moment of doubt taps into a deep psychological struggle. Thomas represents our inherent need for tangible evidence, a tension that plays out across human history. We see it manifest in different cultural contexts where faith and reason clash. It is a testament to the cyclical nature of human experience, recurring in various forms and contexts, inviting us to reflect on the power of belief and the persistence of doubt.