Jon McNaughton has been painting for over 25 years. His growing concern for America had been building when the idea for the painting came to him “in a bold way.” He knew it would take more time and research than he had ever consumed on one of his paintings. But he realized that the painting he entitled “One Nation Under God” was worth the diligent artistry.
McNaughton’s painting is just one interpretation of America past and present, but it has left his audiences stunned with the magnitude of details and the eclectic representations of Americans. For example, you can see the founding fathers and the patriots that believed for and fought for America in the painting’s upper left and right side behind the brilliant image of Christ holding the American Constitution.
McNaughton explains:
These men and women were passionately religious. And saw the hand of God all around them. To God they gave thanks for His hand and the founding of this great nation. To Him, according to their own testimony, they turned for wisdom and strength when life and liberty hung in the balance…This painting, “One Nation Under God,” is my personal witness and reminder of those who went before us — that they knew from whence their blessings came.
On McNaughton’s fine art website, he has a page dedicated solely to this painting. It is set up as an interactive page that explains “some of the points of confusion for those who wish to interpret” his painting.
Two women on the steps of the painting are particularly interesting. If you scroll over the woman on the left holding the small child in her lap, you will see the “title” of her person pop up, explaining the artist’s thoughts behind this representative. The woman on the left is “Mother” and the child in her lap is “Disabled Child.” The descriptions explain in full why each person is pictured and McNaughton’s intent in placing them there:
Mother: “…A mother’s role in raising up the next generation is immeasurable.”
Disabled Child: “Symbol of those for whom we should have understanding and compassion- the truly innocent and pure of our nation. Notice each person on the left side of the front of the painting are looking toward the Lord. Those on the lower right side are all turning away.”
If you notice on the right side of the painting, there is another woman who is pregnant, pointing at and looking toward the woman holding the disabled child. At first, I stared at her to see what I could see in her thoughts without the artist’s commentary. She looked to me as if she had a moment that caught her by surprise. She was having a revelation. I then scrolled over her to see what the interactive screen would explain:
Pregnant Woman: “She is pointing at the mother with the child with disability and is saying to herself, ‘I want to keep my baby.’ She represents hope. Abortion is a heavy subject, but this artist believes strongly in the rights of the unborn child.”
McNaughton almost prophesies in his painting about the changing of hearts of abortion-minded women. What causes this change? Often, it’s the value of every life and the evident love of mothers who have gone before them. The artist is depicting the overwhelming shift of women changing their minds about the “choice” of abortion. And he is displaying this conversion as hope.
To see more of this painting and other works by Jon McNaughton, or to purchase “One Nation Under God,” you can visit his website here.
