A man who was called a fool. A man who was asking God to help the poor. A man who acted extravagantly to remind everybody around him of who God is. This man and this fool was Basil of Moscow or as he is also known – Saint Basil the Blessed Fool in Christ.
Standing between two stone lions on the rock by the sea a man is stretching out his hands to the gap among the clouds in the sky. If there is a halo – even though stylized – then he might be... a saint?
The idea for this painting comes from a Russian-Orthodox icon of Saint Basil The Blessed Fool In Christ. The man's name is Basileo, or Basil. He lived in Russia in the 15th century and was called "yurodivy" (holy fool).
What did it mean to be a holy fool back then? – Well, the holy madness was considered to be the most controversial and the most difficult spiritual practice. Their (holy fools') understanding of God was radical and straightforward. They were seeing the world as a sacred place because it was created by God, and the human behavior in the scared place should be sacred, according to them. Their madness (foolishness) was feigned. It was as if they were showing by this feigned foolishness that the lowliest of the low can also be not a poor wretch he appears to be but a holy one and God’s prophet. Mocked and despised, holy fools were symbolically destroying clear-cut distinctions between the profane and the sacred.
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In my painting... He might be praying for any "Third Rome" to turn from the evil to the good. He might be praying for everybody's re-commitment to God. He is strong, calm but vulnerable in his nude appearance. This "foolish" saint is know for always saying that "if you have God and the order in your head then you can walk around even without pants". His nakedness is his open declaration of the absolute closeness with God.
The stone sculptures in front of him and behind him are a lion and a lioness. The lion, as a symbol of courage and royal power, is behind the man, supporting and protecting him. While the lioness, is a symbol of faithfulness and commitment to God. She is standing in front of him and looking the same direction as the man does.
The man is standing on a firm rock which is unshakable while around him the nature scenery – the mountains, the skies, the sea – seems threatening. The man has found his calm place in the troubled, hectic and dangerous world.
The waves of the raging sea come as a symbol of the word of God and the baptism.
And if we look back at the animals, we might notice that these are the statues from the Cascine Park in Florence, Italy. – This is the place where my prayer comes from and where this painting was created.
Finta Follia by Dimitri Ross. 2024, Oil on canvas
