Akeldama
Valeriano Ugolini (1948– )
- Medium
Italy
ca. 2015
Oil on panel
Akeldama is the Aramaic word for the place where Judas died, called “the field of blood” (Matthew 27:8). This painting symbolically portrays the human need for redemption from sin. The red in the foreground represents our fallen world, where sins are committed, and the tree represents a sinner. The gold particles descending from on high represent the divine mercy of Christ that rescues each of us. Eleos, the Latin word for piety, reflects on the devotion of those who love the Savior.