Guwahati: After Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared a selfie of himself and Sonia Gandhi after voting in the sixth phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the image quickly went viral on social media.
Some users mocked Gandhi's claim of being a 'janeudhari brahmin' (thread-wearing Brahmin) and alleged that he had a photo of Jesus Christ in his room, but no Hindu deities.
One of the users, 'MrSinha_' on X (formerly Twitter), who has a history of spreading misinformation, was among those sharing this claim.
(Archives of more claims on social media can be seen here and here.)
However, the image in question does not depict Jesus Christ. It is actually a painting titled 'Madonna Oriflamma' by Russian artist Nicholas Roerich. The painting shows a woman holding a banner of peace.
To uncover the truth, we noticed the painting in the background featured a person holding a banner with three red dots inside a red circle. Searching this description led us to a 2017 blog post that identified the image as Roerich's 1932 painting 'Madonna Oriflamma'. The post explained that Roerich created the 'Banner of Peace' symbol, which the painting features.
Further investigation by The Quint confirmed the painting's identity:
- The Quint found references to 'Madonna Oriflamma' on multiple websites, including its WikiArt page, which noted it has been displayed at the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York since 1960.
- The museum's Facebook page shared a photo of the painting in 2021, explaining its meaning and symbolism.
- Roerich's official website also includes details about the painting, its medium, dimensions, and its loan to the museum.
- Reproduced and printed versions of the painting are widely available for purchase online, as seen here, here, and here
In conclusion, the painting in the background of Rahul and Sonia Gandhi's selfie is not an image of Jesus Christ.
This story is republished from The Quint as part of the Shakti Collective. Read the original story here.
