Oleg Shuplyak created a group of paintings of optical illusions. He uses people in natural scenes to create a larger portrait of famous figures and spiritual figures in history. In 1992, Shuplyak painted the Coming of the Messiah. He illustrates the Holy Trinity by putting Jesus as the focal point representing his coming, the Holy Spirit is the dove above Him, and the optical face is God, the father. 

The Holy Trinity is often displayed as one being- Jesus. This painting is different because it depicts all three aspects of the trinity in different perspectives. If this painting was zoomed in, you would see Jesus as he is in the distance, and above, the dove representing the Holy Spirit would be in the sky. If the painting was zoomed out the face of God would be seen. What is interesting, though, is the face of God looks almost identical to Jesus’s face. This pertains to the Christian idea that Jesus is the son of God, but he is also God himself.  

The dove, or holy spirit, Jesus, and the features of God’s face make a cross in this painting. This symbol represents Christianity as a whole because it is what Jesus was crucified on. The symbol of the crucifix, a cross symbol with Jesus crucified on it, can, also, be represented because Jesus is in the center of the cross within the painting even though his arms are not displayed like they are on the crucifix. The water in the river symbolizes purity and cleansing. “And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but in pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 3:21). In the christian faith, it is believed to get baptized after accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Baptism is looked differently when comparing different branches of Christianity, but overall, it is a submersion of water cleansing the soul of sin. 

This painting appeals more to the emotions of those who hold Christianity in their hearts. These people will be more aware of the power this painting reveals as oppose to those who are not a Christian or know nothing about Christianity, therefore, this painting is directed at those who follow Jesus. Being a follower of Jesus requires spreading the word. Because this painting is meant for the people of Christian faith, the job of the Christian who understands the message behind it is to tell it to those who do not. “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”” (Mark 16:15). The people in the foreground of the painting display this idea because they are followers of Jesus who are awaiting his coming. Those on the right of the painting are are on their knees bowing down to Jesus. The woman, though, is standing; perhaps she is not a follower and the men are talking about Jesus because of the way their hands are positioned. The man to the left with the cross-shaped staff is a common shepherd. He represents Jesus being the good shepherd of Christianity. He is believed to be a storyteller elevated on a rock telling the people an experience he had with Jesus or what Jesus has done for others that changed their life.

Paintings are special because they illustrate a particular moment, unlike a movie, show or comic in which tell a story. Within a painting, however, the figures tell us, as spectators, what to look at. Besides the fact that Jesus is the center of Shuplyak’s painting, the figures in the foreground tell the audience to look at Him because they are looking at Him. This represents the title, Coming of the Messiah. They are awaiting His coming, and spectators play a role in this as our eyes are drawn to see Jesus and the Holy Trinity. Although this painting depicts a moment in history, there are people who still choose to follow Christianity. 

The idea of illusion versus reality is displayed in Michel Foucault’s analysis of Las Meninas. This can be applied to Shuplyak’s painting. The illusion in this painting is the image of God. The reality of this painting is Jesus is standing in a desert across a river with mountains in the distance behind Him. The purpose of this is to create God with what is believed that He created. Spiritually, God created the earth and all of its nature. In the book of Genesis, it says God created the heavens and the earth. “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Genesis 1:2). In the Coming of the Messiah, there is a river in which the illusion of God is above it, thus pertaining to the Spirit of God hovering over waters. The nature within the illusion of God’s face is outlined with thin trees. His eyes are made of mountain in the background. His lips are made of rock along the river, and His beard is made of the water with cattails for texture and wet grass for a mustache. Jesus, who is standing in the middle of the desert, is His nose, and although Jesus is not part of nature, He is a part of God.

Oleg Shuplyak’s painting of the Coming of the Messiah uses an illusion to illustrate the Holy Trinity: the father, son, and holy spirit. This painting is directed towards followers of Jesus because it has symbols which are represented in the Christian faith; many people outside Christianity would not understand the meaning behind this painting. 
