Painting by Ryohei Koiso (小磯 良平) (1903-1988). “[He] grew up as an active member of the Kobe church and had a strong ambition to be a painter. Although his family opposed this course his grandmother said, ‘If you are going to be a painter, you should make it your life’s ministry.’ After study in Europe Koiso returned to Tokyo and in 1959 become a professor at Tokyo Art College. His Christian art works provided the illustrations for the Revised Version of the Bible in colloquial Japanese (聖書新共同訳 ).

“His illustration of Gideon’s men at the river shows the research and planning which went into all his works. The painting is produced with a bamboo drawing nib and Chinese ink with a light wash of color.” (Source for this and the image: The Bible Through Asian Eyes by Masao Takenaka and Ron O’Grady 1991)