"The Ladder"
Mary Ellen Scherl

Gifted by
The Newington-Cropsey Foundation

THE GARDEN OF GREAT IDEAS

In his dream, Jacob receives a message about generations that will flourish at the site where he sleeps. Why is a ladder the theme of this dream? "The Ladder" proposes a 21st century answer to that question. If the simple meaning of the story is about future generations, perhaps a deeper interpretation is about biogenesis, and that our understanding of genetics will begin when we see that the chemical structure of genetic material resembles a ladder. The portraits of the angels are intended to celebrate our genetic diversity and represent the four families of man.