A 350 YEAR OLD PAINTING OF THE BABY JESUS IS AT THE CENTER OF A BIZARRE OPTICAL ILLUSION AT THE LIVERPOOL'S WALKER ART GALLERY. SURPRISED VISITORS SAY THEY HAVE SEEN THE REFLECTION OF A HAND POINTING DIRECTLY AT THE MESSIAH IN MATTIA PRETI'S 1660 WORK 'THE ADORATION OF THE SHEPARD'S'. THE PAINTING DEPICTS ONLOOKERS SURROUNDING THE HOLY CHILD. THE STRANGE PHENOMENON OCCURRED WHEN THE JOHN MOORES PAINTING PRIZE EXHIBITION OPENED LAST MONTH. ONE OF THE WORKS, 'THERE YOU ARE!' BY CORNELIA BALTES, FEATURES A LARGE HAND PAINTED ONTO THE WALLS OF THE WALKER. 'BY SOME COMPLETE FLUKE THIS PAINTED HAND SEEMS TO HAVE REFLECTED THROUGH GLASS DOORS AND ONTO THE PRETI PAINTING, EVEN THOUGH IT'S IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT GALLERY', REYAHN KING, DIRECTOR OF ART GALLERIES, SAID. 'THIS IS AN UNCANNY THING TO HAVE HAPPENED. WE HAVE A PAINTING IN THE JOHN MOORES EXHIBITION WHICH IS NOW REFLECTING ONTO ANOTHER WALL IN A SEPARATE GALLERY. IT'S COMPLETELY ACCIDENTAL AND A BIZARRE COINCIDENCE THAT THE HAND SEEMS TO POINT AT THE BABY JESUS. WE'VE HAD LOTS OF VISITORS TO THE JOHN MOORES SHOW WHO HAVE COMMENTED ON THIS. EVERYONE IS QUITE MYSTIFIED.' IN ANOTHER COINCIDENCE, THE WINNING PAINTING IN THIS YEAR'S JOHN MOORES PAINTING PRIZE IS CALLED 'SPECTRUM JESUS' BY KEITH COVENTRY. DEPICTING THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST, 'SPECTRUM JESUS' IS A BLUE MONOCHROMATIC IMAGE, PART OF A SERIES RENDERED IN THE PALETTE AND STYLE OF THE GERMAN EXPRESSIONIST EMIL NOLDE. THE WINNING WORK WAS QUICKLY LABELED 'BLUE JESUS' BY SECTIONS OF THE MEDIA. 'SPECTRUM JESUS' HAS BEEN ACQUIRED FOR THE WALKER ART GALLERY'S PERMANENT COLLECTIONS. THE PAINTING WILL NOW JOIN THE GALLERY'S IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION OF BRITISH PAINTING.
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