Parables of Luke triptych, by Charalambos Epaminonda

Three paintings, acrylic on canvas, of the prodigal son, the sower of seed, and the good Samaritan make up this triptych by Greek Cypriot artist Charalambos Epaminonda. He achieves visual unity among them using a language of gesture drawn from Eastern Orthodox iconography.

As exemplars of selfless compassion, the father welcoming home his wayward son in the left panel and the Samaritan dressing the wounds of the waylaid Jew in the right panel incline their heads with reverence toward the central image of Christ, depicted as the sower of seed, spreading the good news of the coming reign of God in justice and love. Epaminonda uses the Greek term epistrophi, meaning both “return” and “restoration,” to describe the central theme of the triptych. He wants us to see the threefold image as more than an illustration of the coming together of estranged families and nations. Christ occupies the pivotal place in a visually busy universe, where humanity must share space with a variety of flora and fauna. As the giver and sustainer of all life, Christ is actively engaged in “reconciling the world unto himself” (2 Cor. 5:19).