Triplus, Number 3

I was looking back at some comments on previous posts, and on my post "Exchange No. 8" I was reminded by my friend Hannabeth about another painting by Ron Richmond that we both like a lot. This one is called Triplus, Number 3 and is also owned and displayed by BYU in their Museum of Art. Here's a picture of it:

For some reason it's coming up kind of small, but I can't think of anything to make it bigger that doesn't also over-pixelize it. Oh well. I'll have to describe it for those who have poor eyesight.

Once again, I love Ron Richmonds simple yet profound representations of the Atonement. In this composition, he has the white cloth overlapping the red cloth, just like in his Exchange No. 8, I think it is a reference to the cleansing power of the Atonement. On the white cloth are three bowls. The one closest to the viewer is filled with water, the second with blood, the third is empty.

My first thoughts on seeing this painting were expressed in an exchange between Christ and Nicodemus in John 3:3-5. It goes like this "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

That takes care of the first and last bowls. Being born again of water would be baptism. The act of baptism by immersion symbolizes this rebirth. We are immersed under the water as we are buried underground after death and then we are brought back out of the water in a representation of the resurrection. We are born again through our baptism. We are born again by the Spirit when we are baptised by fire, or given the gift of the Holy Ghost. After baptism we are confirmed members of Christ's church and given that gift. What of the blood then? I would say that we are born again through the Atonement as well. As we repent and forsake our sins, we are born again through the blood of Christ. As we accept Christ and his sacrifice on our behalf, we are made new creatures through him, we are born again.