Thursday Art Date With Rain -- "The Workshop"

For Rain's Art Date theme this week,

I have reached back, back, BACK 

into the mists of time and retrieved 

a drawing I did in 1972 when I was 15. 

It depicts a 16th century carpenter

in his workshop, making or repairing

the stock of a wooden crossbow.

The original art on which my drawing was based

is by an illustrator named Paul V. Lantz. 

Here's his original which, as you can see, 

had another character in it who I omitted --

This art illustrated a story called "The Secret Trap"

by Jack M. MacLeod in his 1959 book 

Theirs Is The Kingdom.

Aimed at teens, this book 

recounted tales of Christian heroes

who put their faith into action over the centuries.

For some reason, my older brother 

had been given a copy of this book, 

along with its two companion volumes 

retelling stories from the 

Old and New Testaments.

I can only assume it was a Sunday School

prize or gift or something. I can't imagine 

my parents shelling out money for the series.

"The Secret Trap" concerned a carpenter who,

along with some buddies, staged a fake kidnapping 

of Martin Luther in 1521 when Luther was on the run 

from the Catholic Church as an excommunicated heretic. 

The seizure actually occurred 

at the behest of Prince Frederick III, 

who then hid Luther in safety 

from his enemies for over a year at 

Wartburg Castle in Eisenach, Saxony.

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, October 2021]