Shepard was a 21-year-old gay student at the University of Wyoming at the time of his death. He was brutally attacked near Laramie, Wyoming, on Oct. 6-7, 1998 by two men who later claimed that they were driven temporarily insane by “gay panic” due to Shepard’s alleged sexual advances.
Shepard was beaten and left to die. The officer who found him said that he was covered with blood -- except for the white streaks left by his tears. Father William Hart McNichols created a striking icon based on his report. McNichols dedicated his icon The Passion of Matthew Shepard to the 1,470 gay and lesbian youth of commit suicide in the U.S. each year, and to the countless others who are injured or murdered.
Now the Matthew Shepard Foundation seeks to replace hate with understanding, compassion and acceptance. U.S. President Obama signed "The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act" into law on Oct. 28, 2009. It broadens the federal hate-crimes law to cover violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
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| “The Murder of Matthew Shepard” by Matthew WettlauferMatthew Wettlaufer |
The grim scene of Matthew’s death is vividly portrayed in “The Murder of Matthew Shepard,” above, by gay artist-philosopher Matthew Wettlaufer. He lived in El Salvador and South Africa before returning to California. For an interview with Wettlaufer and more of his art, see my previous post “New paintings honor gay martyrs.”
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| “The Last of Laramie” by Stephen Mead |
.” For more about Mead and his art, see my previous post “Gay Artist Links Body and Spirit.”Matthew’s story has also been dramatized in films such as “The Laramie Project
” and the “The Matthew Shepard Story
” with Sam Waterson and Stockard Channing as the grieving parents.McNichols is a New Mexico artist and Catholic priest who has been rebuked by church leaders for making icons of saints not approved by the church, including this one of Matthew Shepard. McNichols’ own moving spiritual journey and two of his icons are included in the book Art That Dares: Gay Jesus, Woman Christ, and More
by Kittredge Cherry. His Matthew Shepard icon appears in his book “Christ All Merciful
,” which he co-authored with Megan McKenna. 
"The Candlelight Vigil for Matthew Shepard (NYC Oct. 19, 1998)” by Sandow Birk
California artist Sandow Birk painted a candlelight vigil for Shepard. With a drummer and a rainbow flag, it seems to echo “The Spirit of 76,” a famous patriotic painting of Revolutionary War figures by Archibald MacNeal Willard. But it is based on “The Conscripts” by Pascal Adolphe Jean Dagnan-Bouveret, a painting that seems to take a hard look at the toll of war, especially the conscription of young people into the military during the Franco-Prussian War.
“The Conscripts” by Pascal Adolphe Jean Dagnan-Bouveret, 1889 (Wikimedia Commons)
For more about Sandow Birk’s art, see my previous post Stonewall's LGBT history painted: Interview with Sandow Birk.
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Credits:
“The Murder of Matthew Shepard” by Matthew Wettlaufer
Oil on canvas, 2006. 1-1/2 meters x 1 meter.
“The Last of Laramie” by Stephen Mead
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This post is part of the GLBT Saints series at the Jesus in Love Blog. Saints, martyrs, heroes and holy people of special interest to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and our allies are covered on appropriate dates throughout the year.
Copyright © Kittredge Cherry. All rights reserved.
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4 comments:
My husband and myself are the owners of "The Candlelight Vigil for Matthew Shepard (NYC Oct 19 1998)" by Sandow Birk (1999) from "Historical Works From the Stonewall Riots and Beyond" Earl McGrath Gallery, NY, NY. We would love to display it publicly in a place of lgbt significance for National Coming Out Day and the next day which will be the 15th anniversary of Matthew's death. That date is October 12, 1998
I’m excited to be in contact with the actual owners of "The Candlelight Vigil for Matthew Shepard”! I hope that you can find a place to exhibit it this year. I just added it to this blog profile on Matthew Shepard so people can see what you are talking about.
How can people contact you if they are interested in exhibiting it?
The painting is rather large, isn’t it? Sandow Birk’s website says it is 32” x 20.” You can find it on his website at this link:
http://www.sandowbirk.com/paintings/stonewall-1969/
Shipping costs may be an issue, so you might want to contact galleries, LGBT centers or gay-positive churches near where you live.
You probably noticed that it is similar to the famous patriotic painting “The Spirit of 76” because it has a flag and drummer as they march.
Dagnan Bouveret's Les Conscrits (1891) is the inspiration according to Sandow Birk
I was excited when I looked up Dagnan Bouveret's “Les Conscrits” (The Conscripts). It certainly looks like a prototype for "The Candlelight Vigil for Matthew Shepard.”
Here’s a link to it:
“The Conscripts” by Pascal Adolphe Jean Dagnan-Bouveret, 1889 (Wikimedia Commons)
It seems to take a hard look at the toll of war, especially the conscription of young people into the military during the Franco-Prussian War.
I’ll also add it to the main article about Matthew Shepard.
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