Universalist Church, Mitchellville

All photographers hope their work does justice to the subject. For this photograph, however, I admit to failure. This perspective painting behind the podium is so stunning that I literally could not look at anything else for several minutes. When I walked in the front door, the urge to walk down the aisle and up into the painting was incredibly strong.

This painting is in the old Mitchellville Universalist Church. It's on the National Register of Historic Places. Arlis Fenimore lives across the street from the church and was gracious enough to interrupt her Saturday to let me in. When I asked about the painting, she said it was a mystery. When the building was turned over to a historical group, the painting was found beneath a layer of wallpaper. Arlis said no one knows who painted it, when it was painted, or what it's exact meaning.

There are plenty of mysteries in any religion. There are many questions that refuse to be answered. And maybe that's the point of the painting.

From the photography point of view, this photo is mostly a shot of record; that is, it simply shows a subject in its surroundings. I'm posting it because I think it's intriguing and one of the most unusual pieces of artwork I've seen in a church. I did take several different viewpoints, but I'm not sure any of them will end up in the final church project. I did take another photo that is more likely to be in the final project, but I'll post that one later.