The Crucifixion Painting

Jesus on the cross – famous paintings


Questions for Bible study groups

  1. Which of the paintings below affects you the most? Why?
  2. Do different paintings of the Crucifixion offer different messages to the viewer?
  3. If you had to choose one of these paintings for your church, which would you choose? Why?
  4. Towards the bottom of the page you’ll see a section on Hidden Meanings in paintings of the Crucifixion. Skim through these and note any hidden meanings you hadn’t noticed before. What are they?

In brief:  The crucifixion of Jesus was a central event in the gospels. Some painters glossed over the horrifying details, presenting a glorified Christ; others showed the agony of crucifixion. They showed Jesus alone in his final moments or surrounded by anguished disciples. See Hidden Meanings for more on the way that artists depicted crucifixion.

Crucifixion, Matthias Grunewald

Crucifixion, Matthias Grunewald



Crucifixion, Nicolai Ge

Crucifixion, Nicolai Ge



Preparatory sketch for Christ in 'Calvary'

Preparatory sketch for Christ in ‘Calvary’



Crucifixion, Giotto

Crucifixion, Giotto



Crucifixion, Francis Bacon, 1933

Crucifixion, Francis Bacon, 1933



Study for a figure at the base of a Crucifixion, Francis Bacon

Study for a figure at the base of a Crucifixion, Francis Bacon

The figure at the foot of the cross is horrific: half-human, half-beast. Its screaming mouth protests against man’s inhumanity to man. Some critics say that Bacon’s inspiration for this image came from the wounded nurse in Eisenstein’s 1925 film Battleship Potemkin – see the movie clip of this scene. The gaping mouth breathing black air may also reflect Bacon’s severe asthma,
which eventually killed him in 1992.



Crucifixion, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Altarpiece of the Sacraments

Crucifixion, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Altarpiece of the Sacraments



Christ of St John of the Cross, Salvador Dali

Christ of St John of the Cross, Salvador Dali


Hidden meanings in Crucifixion paintings

  • In Roman times crucifixion was a widely used form of capital punishment, reserved for baser criminals and slaves. It was probably carried out differently from the way it is presented in art. At the site of the execution the upright post was already set into the ground; it could be used many times.
  • The condemned man was led to the place of execution carrying only the horizontal piece to which his hands were already tied to prevent resistance. On arrival his hands (or wrists) were nailed to the ends of the cross-bar which was then lifted on to the upright. It either rested across the top, to form a ‘T’ or was set somewhat lower down, forming the familiar crux immissa (intersecting). In either case the pieces were secured by some form of mortise and tenon. Finally the feet were nailed to the upright.
  • The early Church avoided images of the Crucifixion, because they showed that Jesus had died as a criminal.
  • At the time when Christianity was forbidden by the Romans, the crucifixion was represented symbolically by the lamb of Christ juxtaposed with a cross. Even after the age of Constantine the Great, when Christians were allowed to practise their religion without interference, the cross itself was still represented without the figure of Christ.
  • Later paintings show Jesus on the cross, but no-one else nearby; they were aids to devotion, a focus for prayer, not pictures of the scene.
  • Other paintings tell the story of the Crucifixion; they are crowded with people, as in the work of Italian Renaissance artists. There were figures from the gospels who became a permanent feature of the crucifixion: the Virgin Mary and St John the Evangelist, the centurion and the sponge-bearer, the two thieves, the soldiers casting lots.
  • For many centuries Christ was shown alive and open-eyed, a triumphant Saviour wearing a royal crown. In the 11th century however there appeared a new type, the emaciated figure with its head fallen on one shoulder and wearing a crown of thorns.
  • In art up to the 13th century the usual number of nails was four (including one for each foot), but after this it was usually three, (one foot nailed over the other).
  • In antiquity an inscription stating the nature of the condemned man’s offence was hung round his neck as he was led to execution, and was afterwards fixed to the head of the cross. John (19:19-20) tells how Pilate ‘wrote an inscription to be fastened to the cross; it read, “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews” . . . in Hebrew, Latin and Greek.’ In Renaissance art it is usually given in Latin only, ‘Iesus Nazarenes Rex Iudaeorum’, abbreviated to `INRI’.
  • The medieval Church debated whether Christ was naked on the cross; in ancient Rome this was standard practice. Usually he is shown with a thin band of cloth extending round the waist and under the crotch. The loincloth was an invention of artists in the early Middle Ages.
  • The two thieves were crucified with Christ, one on each side. Luke adds that one rebuked the other saying that their punishment was deserved whereas Christ was innocent, and was told by the Saviour, ‘Today you shall be with me in Paradise.’ Art distinguished between the penitent and impenitent thief. The good is on Christ’s right (the ‘good’ side); his expression is peaceful where the other’s is anguished. The names by which they are generally known, Dismas and Gestas (good and bad), are taken from the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus.
  • The soldiers who crucified Christ divided his clothes into four parts, one for each soldier. Of the seamless tunic, woven in one piece, they said, ‘We must not tear this; let us toss for it.’ They are either at the foot of the cross or in a corner of the picture. One is in the act of throwing dice while the others look on.
  • The Virgin and St John stand by the cross. This scene was originally intended to express the scene from John’s gospel (19:26-27) in which Christ, while he still lived, entrusted the Virgin to the care of the apostle John. The Virgin stands on the right of Christ, St John on the left. Their heads are inclined. She may have raised her left hand to her cheek, supporting the elbow with the other hand, a traditional gesture of sorrow dating back to Hellenistic times.
    The Virgin swoons into the arms of the holy women. There is no mention of this in the gospels – it is a creation of later medieval preachers and writers. They assumed that she was overcome with anguish, and suggested she swooned three times: on the Road to Calvary, at the crucifixion and after the descent from the cross.
  • In early paintings Mary Magdalene wears a red cloak. Later she appears richly attired and with her usual copious hair, kneeling at the foot of the cross or embracing it in passionate grief. She may kiss the bleeding feet or wipe them with her hair.

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Jesus Christ



Modern images of Jesus and Mary






Birth of Jesus


Magdalene Painting

Mary Magdalene, first Resurrection witness


Questions for Bible study groups

  1. Scroll down the paintings on this page. They show various events in the life of Mary Magdalene.
  2. Which painting appeals to you most? Can you say why you like this particular painting?
  3. Which event in Mary’s life was, in your opinion, the most significant?
  4. If you could meet her, what questions would you ask?

In brief: Mary Magdalene was a disciple of Jesus of Nazareth, and probably his financial backer. It is extremely unlikely, well-nigh impossible, that she was a reformed prostitute, but medieval painters loved to show her as such. She was the first witness to the Resurrection, and is called ‘Apostle to the Apostles’, since the risen Christ told her to ‘go and tell’, apostellein in Greek.



Giotto, Noli Me Tangere ('Do not touch me' )

Giotto, Noli Me Tangere (‘Do not touch me’ )

Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene on Easter morning. She has at first mistaken him for a gardener, but when she realizes her mistake she reaches toward Jesus. Do not touch me, he says, for I am not yet ascended to my father.


She is portrayed in two distinct ways: before her conversion she is richly attired, jewelled and gloved, a figure of Profane Love; as a penitent, she wears a simple cloak or is often naked, covered only by her long hair (a very popular theme during the Victorian period). She usually has a crucifix and a skull, and sometimes a whip and a crown of thorns. She reads or meditates or, in Baroque paintings, raises her tear-filled eyes towards a vision of angels in heaven.

An angel on the left sits rather casually on the side of the tomb, but the two above Jesus are closer to disembodied spirits – notice that though they have heads and arms, their legs are simply not there. Angels are not corporeal beings, Giotto reminds us. This heightens the sense that Jesus is inhabiting two worlds. Giotto emphasises the other-worldliness by giving Jesus a human appearance but encasing him in ethereal light and garments.

Mary, however, is decidedly not of another world. Her red, semi-transparent silk garment proclaims her as very much alive.

Hidden Meanings in paintings of Mary Magdalene

  • Mary Magdalene was always an important figure in the gospel, but she became even more so after the Counter-Reformation, when the Catholic Church encouraged devotion to the Sacraments, particularly Penance. Mary was seen as the ideal penitent because she supposedly anointed the feet of Jesus. But the woman who did this, whoever she was, was unnamed in the gospel.
  • In fact there is no real link between the woman who anointed Jesus, and the woman called Mary Magdalene who was exorcised of seven ‘demons’ – in other words, she was cured of a severe illness.
  • Never mind the facts, go with the myth. Mary Magdalene is often shown with a jar of ointment. Her hair is untied, long and flowing, sometimes covering her whole body.


'Mary Magdalene Approaching the Tomb', Gian Girolamo Savoldo, 1535-40

‘Mary Magdalene Approaching the Tomb’, Gian Girolamo Savoldo, 1535-40

Mary and the other women (not shown by the painter) approach the tomb on Easter Sunday morning at dawn. They have brought spices and perfumed ointment to anoint the body of Jesus, but it is gone. Mary’s grief and confusion overcome her, and she weeps. Then she hears a sound behind her, and turns to look. What is behind her? It is very early in the morning, and at the left of the picture dawn is breaking over the horizon. But a much stronger light is coming from behind Mary’s left shoulder, making her cloak shimmer Savoldo suggests the light behind her is stronger than even the light of the sun – and of course the viewer knows that this light is Jesus, resurrected. Bible reference: John 20:11-16



'The First Meeting of Christ and Mary Magdalene', Henryk Siemiradzki,1873

‘The First Meeting of Christ and Mary Magdalene’, Henryk Siemiradzki,1873

Mary Magdalene’s sumptuous clothing and jewellery contrast sharply with the simplicity and dignity of Jesus. His gaze is direct, while she tries to hide herself in the shade. Behind him stand his disciples, straining to see how he will react. Behind her, on the other hand, are a band of reprobates who jeer at this provincial preacher. On the left of the picture, the simple countryside; on the right, ornate Roman architecture. This is a picture of contrasts, essentially a dramatic tableau showing a pivotal moment in Mary’s life. Bible reference: Luke 8:1-3



'The Repenting Magdalene', Georges de La Tour, late 1630's

‘The Repenting Magdalene’, Georges de La Tour, late 1630’s

Mary surveys the mirror, symbol of her former vanity and preoccupation with worldly things. It casts a large shadow. Her beauty remains, but she has clearly become aware of the fact that there is more to life than earthly pleasure. Now, in the stillness of night, she reflects on past events, and on her own transformation through the encounter she has had with Jesus.

The skull in Mary’s lap reminds here that Death is inevitable for all creatures, and will come to her as well. It suggests that she should think about the hereafter as well as the present.
George de la Tour excelled in the use of light and shadow, and the meditative mood that night brings to all creatures.



'The Penitent Magdalene', Caravaggio, 1597

‘The Penitent Magdalene’, Caravaggio, 1597

Caravaggio has managed to capture the image of a woman who has come to the end of the road, too tired to look into her future. This is the moment, he suggests, when she is ready to respond to Jesus’ message of redemption. Mary Magdalene is sumptuously dressed, but the discarded jewellery and her slumped figure tell the viewer that she has reached a turning point in her life. Caravaggio portrays her as a rich courtesan, not a common prostitute. In fact, the real Mary Magdalene was neither. She was not the sinner described in Luke 7:36-50, and when Luke does describe an actual prostitute in 15:30, he uses a different word, not ‘sinner’.



'Mary Magdalene', detail of head only, Donatello, 1455

‘Mary Magdalene’, detail of head only, Donatello, 1455

In popular legend, Mary Magdalene was portrayed as a repentant sinner who retired to a cave in the desert where she became a penitent hermit. She practised every sort of physical penance and privation, to atone for the sins she supposedly had committed before she was cured by Jesus. There is no biblical evidence for this depiction of Mary Magdalene. It derives from popular legend and medieval tradition only.

Donatello’s Mary has a thin, exhausted face and matted, filthy hair. Her emaciated body is clad in ragged animal skins. She is barefoot and bare armed. Her repentance is obviously sincere, but her self-abasement is not appealing. The sculpture is currently held in the Duomo Museum, Florence. It had become blackened by time, but after the terrible flood in 1966 it was cleaned and restored to its present appearance.



'Mary Magdalene in the house of Simon the Pharisee', Jean Beraud, 1891

‘Mary Magdalene in the house of Simon the Pharisee’, Jean Beraud, 1891

The story of the woman with the alabaster jar is transported into 19th century France. This interesting and technically accomplished painting pulls the event in Luke 7:36-50 into the modern world. Only the figure of Jesus is timeless. All the others, including the startled maid at far right, are in modern dress. The painting was controversial when it first appeared, because people rightly suspected that Beraud was trying to make them uncomfortable by confronting them with their own failings, their own hypocrisy. Many of the well-heeled men in the painting would have had mistresses. Now they were confronted with reality, with raw human suffering, and they did not particularly like it. Bible reference: Luke 7:36-50



'The Magdalene Reading', Ambrosius Benson, 1525

‘The Magdalene Reading’, Ambrosius Benson, 1525

Mary, now repentant and reformed, sits quietly reading. Her life of sin is behind her.

As with many other painting of Mary Magdalene, this one contains a representation of an alabaster vase, suggesting that she is the woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume made from nard. The red of her dress and her pouting lips encourage the viewer to think of her as no better than she should be…. must have been popular, because Benson painted a v



'The Repentant Magdalene', Antonio Canova, 1809

‘The Repentant Magdalene’, Antonio Canova, 1809

Mary alone in the desert, repenting her past sins. In the legends that grew up after her death, Mary is supposed to have repented after meeting Christ; she then spent many years in the desert, where she lamented her past sins. In keeping with this tradition, Canova shows her dressed in the clothing of a hermit. The skull beside her is a reminder of death, which must come to all. The figure of Mary once held a cross, symbol of the Crucifixion. She is clearly grief-stricken and helpless. There is no evidence for any of this in the New Testament.

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Jesus Christ



Modern images of Jesus and Mary





The Arrest of Jesus

The Arrest of Jesus


Peter cuts off the servant’s ear

Peter cuts off the servant's ear


Questions for Bible study groups

  1. How does Judas show the soldiers which of the men is Jesus?
  2. What does Peter do? 
  3. What would you have done if you had been there?

‘Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came with lanterns and torches and weapons’ (John 18: 3).

Judas, usually shown in profile, approaches Christ from behind to give the kiss, which was a prearranged signal for the soldiers. The kiss, a common form of greeting between friends, identified Jesus as the man they sought.

Peter, ever hasty and zealous, who has cut off the ear of Malchus, obeys the command of Christ to return his sword to its scabbard. Christ reaches out to touch and heal the wounded ear. Peter draws the sword through the cloth of his cloak, to wipe off the blood of the soldier he has attacked.

Notice the dour faces, disjointed figures, and flat design without clear spatial intervals. But at the rear of the group, the soldiers on the left give an impression of turmoil and agitation.

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Peter's story





Christ Risen

Michelangelo’s statue of the Risen Christ


Questions for Bible study groups

  • How does Michelangelo present the risen Christ? How is the statue unusual?
  • Does this image of Christ offend or upset you? Why? Why not?
  • Does Michelangelo’s statue deserve the criticism it got?
    Ch_cross_Michelangelo_2

The surprising thing is that this work, the Risen Christ in the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome, is not generally admired. It is only rarely shown in compendiums of Michelangelo’s work, despite the fact it was a popular favorite at the time Michelangelo first showed it to the world.

It has been dogged by bad luck: this is the second version of the sculpture, since half way through sculpting the first statue, Michelangelo discovered a flaw in the marble block, and abandoned it.

The statue itself is certainly unusual, and perhaps this is why it is not as popular as, for example, the Pietà or Moses. Jesus is presented as the ideal of classical antiquity: nude, and perfectly formed. The nudity, all the more striking given that this is a life-size, three-dimensional figure, seems more appropriate to a pagan than a Christian statue.

In fact, through most of its history the lower part of the figure has been covered in a variety of ways, ranging from a dainty wisp of drapery to a Baroque loincloth.

Many critics of the Risen Christ point out the odd proportions of the figure:

  • a weighty torso
  • broad hips atop a pair of tapered and rather spindly legs
  • a side or rear view of the figure that show Christ’s buttocks.

But this ungainly rear view was not supposed to be seen. The statue was meant to go in a wall niche, so that the back of the statue was hidden.

Michelangelo of course knew this, and shaped the statue so that it would appear well-proportoned from the front. If we view the sculpture from the front left, perhaps its best side, then Christ is no longer a thickset figure. Rather, his body merges with the cross in a graceful and harmonious composition.

The turn of Christ’s body and his averted face suggest something like the shunning of physical contact that is central to another post-Resurrection subject, the Noli me tangere (“Touch Me Not”). The turned head is a poignant way of making Christ seem inaccessible even as the reality of his living flesh is manifest.

We are encouraged to look at not Christ’s face, but the instruments of his Passion. Our attention is directed to the cross by the effortless cross-body gesture of the left arm and the entwining movement of the right leg. With his powerful but graceful hands, Christ cradles the cross, and the separated index fingers direct us first to the cross and then heavenward. Christ presents us with the symbols of his Passion – the tangible recollection of his earthly suffering.

Behind Christ and barely visible between his legs we see the cloth in which Christ was wrapped when he was in the tomb. He has just shed the earthly shroud; it is in the midst of slipping to earth. In this suspended instant, Christ is completely and properly nude.

We must imagine how the figure must have appeared in its original setting, within the darkened confines of an elevated niche. Christ steps forth, as though from the tomb and the shadow of death. Foremost are the symbols of the Passion, which Christ will leave behind when he ascends to heaven.

For centuries, the faithful have kissed the advanced foot of Christ, for like Mary Magdalene and doubting Thomas, they wish for some sort of physical contact with the Risen Christ. To carve a life-size marble statue of a naked Christ certainly was audacious, but it is also theologically appropriate. Michelangelo’s contemporaries recognized, more easily than modern viewers, that the Risen Christ was a moving and profoundly beautiful sculpture that was true to the sacred story.

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Jesus Christ



Modern images of Jesus and Mary






Birth of Jesus


Modern images of Jesus & Mary

Jesus & Mary: modern movies, artworks


Questions for Bible study groups

  1. How has Jesus been portrayed in modern movies and artworks? His mother Mary?
  2. How is this different to/similar to traditional images in paintings and illustrations?
  3. Which do you prefer?

In brief: People often think of Jesus as serene and admired by all. This was not so. Jesus was challenging, and he was hated by many upper-class leaders. Modern movies and artworks try to give a balanced view of Jesus, showing him as wise, strong, and unflinchingly courageous, but also controversial.

In 'Ben Hur', Christ's figure is shown, but never his face

In ‘Ben Hur’, Christ’s figure is shown, but never his face



In Pasolini's 'The Gospel According to Matthew', Christ is short, energetic, dynamic

In Pasolini’s ‘The Gospel According to Matthew’, Christ is short, energetic, dynamic



'The Greatest Story Ever Told' has Christ as an other-worldly figure, part human, part divine

‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’ has Christ as an other-worldly figure, part human, part divine



'Jesus of Montreal' partly succeeds in portraying a Jesus who is integrated with the modern world

‘Jesus of Montreal’ partly succeeds in portraying a Jesus who is integrated with the modern world



Jesus at the Last Supper

Jesus at the Last Supper



Pontius Pilate presents Jesus to the crowd Two stills from Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ'

Pontius Pilate presents Jesus to the crowd
Two stills from Mel Gibson’s ‘The Passion of the Christ’



What a wonderful photograph by Michael Belk

What a wonderful photograph by Michael Belk



Michael Belk, 'Journeys with the Messiah- The Second Mile'

Michael Belk, ‘Journeys with the Messiah: The Second Mile’

The photographer Michael Belk has departed from tradition by showing an informal Jesus who laughs, argues, talks one-to-one. This is a major innovation, and a welcome one. Try to think of past paintings or images that show Jesus laughing – they are rare, if they exist at all.

Michael Belk, 'Journeys with the Messiah - Gone Astray'

Michael Belk, ‘Journeys with the Messiah – Gone Astray’



Some modern images of Mary of Nazareth

Mary of Nazareth in 'The Passion of the Christ'

Mary of Nazareth in ‘The Passion of the Christ’

Very few images of Mary show the lines and wrinkles of an aging Jewish peasant woman. Later sequences in the movie ‘The Passion of the Christ’ (see above) capture the mature Mary.

Statue of Mary by David Wynne, Ely Cathedral

Statue of Mary by David Wynne, Ely Cathedral

Here is a figure full of energy: hands, feet and hair all suggest movement. This is a vigorous, beautiful Mary, hands raised to heaven, feet stepping into the future.

An other-worldly statue of Mary by Robert Graham at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles

An other-worldly statue of Mary by Robert Graham
at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles

The cathedral website describes the statue thus:

‘The ornamental space above the pair of bronze doors contains the 8 foot image of Our Lady of the Angels. The modern figure is presented as a woman “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet” (Revelations 12:1). The halo shaft above her head shines God’s light on her as the sun travels from east to west.
Mary does not wear the traditional veil. Her arms are bare, outstretched to welcome all. Her carriage is confident, and her hands are strong, the hands of a working woman.
From the side can be seen a thick braid of hair down her back that summons thoughts of Native American or Latina women. Other characteristics, such as her eyes, lips and nose convey Asian, African and Caucasian features. Without the conventional regal trappings of jewels, crown or layers of clothing, she has a dignity that shines from within.’

Mary in Franco Zeffirelli's film 'Jesus of Nazareth'

Mary in Franco Zeffirelli’s film ‘Jesus of Nazareth’

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Jesus Christ



Modern images of Jesus and Mary






Birth of Jesus


Resurrection

Jesus is risen! Famous paintings


Questions for Bible study groups

  1. Scroll down these paintings of the Resurrection. Which one do you like best? 
  2. What is it about this painting that appeals to you?
  3. Does your choice tell you anything about your own thoughts and beliefs about the Resurrection?

In brief: Artists struggle to portray the Resurrection. How do you show something that nobody saw, or could imagine? Or angels, who were symbols of communication between God and people? Or Jesus, who was dead but was now said to be living?



Simon Dewey, 'He Lives'

Simon Dewey, ‘He Lives’

This sort of realistic painting, showing a triumphant Christ, is disparaged by the Art cognoscenti, but it is very popular, and in fact Simon Dewey is one of the most visible religious artists of the late 20th century. Its message is strong and direct: Christ is risen, he is the Saviour. The stone is rolled away, and darkness and death are behind him



Bramantino, The Resurrected Christ, 1490

Bramantino, The Resurrected Christ, 1490

Bramantino (circa 1465-1535) was a Lombard painter and architect whose real name was Bartolomeo Suardi. His works were noted for their fine architectural backgrounds – though there is little evidence of this in ‘The Resurrected Christ’. If anything, it is the face, body and cloak that have an architectural quality, evidence of careful draughtsmanship. Bramantino was trying to capture the image of a perfect man – perfect in form, in intellect, and compassion. At the same time, his ‘Resurrected Christ’ is a man who has passed through death and is now detached, no longer part of the world that we, the living, inhabit.

The cloak that Jesus wraps around himself has an almost metallic sheen to it, mirroring the pallor of the skin. And yet you notice that the face itself has quite a different colour to it, as if there is more life in it than there is in the body. The skin is luminously pale, unearthly, even though it shows the marks of violence and the raised veins of a living body. The eyes are sad, looking through and past the viewer. They are the eyes of someone who is somewhere else. These eyes have seen things the living have not seen. They are disquieting.



Two disciples (Peter and John) at the tomb, Henry Ossawa Tanner

Two disciples (Peter and John) at the tomb, Henry Ossawa Tanner



'The Resurrection', Carl Heinrich Bloch

‘The Resurrection’, Carl Heinrich Bloch

Carl Bloch was a well-known and popular Danish artist in the 19th century. He painted a series of works on the Life of Christ, which are now housed in the Frederiksborg Palace, Denmark. His paintings would not please art aficionados today – the figures in them are too clean, calm and European. They do not express the gritty reality of Jesus’ life, but rather an ideal. This does not cater to the 21st century’s craving for historical reality. But the best of his pictures are quite beautiful, as this example shows.



Harbingers of the Resurrection, Nikolay Gay, 1867

Harbingers of the Resurrection, Nikolay Gay, 1867

Gay/Ge was a brilliant thinker and painter who was, in his later paintings, out of step with his times. His first paintings were safe conventional scenes – ‘Solomon’s Judgement’ for example is indistinguishable from hundreds of other religious paintings being done at the time.

As Gay aged, however, he began to produce works that were savage, distraught and deeply offensive to many people. His ‘Christ and Pilate’ (1890) shown above was banned as blasphemous, and his ‘Crucifixion’ was more harrowing and realistic than people wanted to see.

‘Harbingers of the Resurrection’ is somewhere in between. Soldiers shrouded in darkness slink away from a discarded, broken cross; their purpose is done. The sky and the angel/Christ-figure both throb with life, but they fail to light up the faces of the soldiers or the dark fortress at the right of the picture. They are harbingers only, not the real thing – that is only just beginning.



The Risen Christ, Ambrogio de Stefano Borgognone, 1510

The Risen Christ, Ambrogio de Stefano Borgognone, 1510

Serenity. Acceptance. Calm. A delicate naturalism. And a certain sadness. These were the qualities that Borgognone presented in his painting of the Risen Christ. The God/Man he shows is no longer troubled by the cares of his turbulent life. He has passed beyond this, into his glory.

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Jesus Christ



Modern images of Jesus and Mary






Birth of Jesus


Jesus’ burial

Jesus’ body is placed in the tomb


Questions for Bible study groups

  1. Look at the paintings below. Which one appeals to you most?
  2. Why have you chosen this particular painting?
  3. How has the artist shown the body and face of Christ? Of the people around Christ?
  4. What message/messages is the artist sending in this painting?

IN BRIEF: After his agony and death, Jesus’ body was lifted down from the cross and gently prepared for burial: he was wrapped in a linen shroud and placed in the newly built tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.

A number of people could testify to this, and to the fact that Jesus was really dead.



The Burial of Christ, Caravaggio

The Burial of Christ, Caravaggio



The Dead Christ, Mantegna

The Dead Christ, Mantegna



The Entombment of Christ, Juan de Juni

The Entombment of Christ, Juan de Juni



The Entombment of Christ, Carl Bloch

The Entombment of Christ, Carl Bloch



The Entombment of Christ, Fra Angelico

The Entombment of Christ, Fra Angelico



The Entombment, Peter Paul Rubens, 1612

The Entombment, Peter Paul Rubens, 1612



Lamentation over Christ, Peter Paul Rubens

Lamentation over Christ, Peter Paul Rubens



The Entombment, Dieric Bouts

The Entombment, Dieric Bouts

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Jesus Christ



Modern images of Jesus and Mary






Birth of Jesus




The Passion

Jesus scourged and crowned with thorns


Questions for Bible study groups

  1. Scroll down the page, to choose the painting of the Passion that appeals to you most.
  2. Which painting, in your opinion, captures the actual event best? Why do you think this?
  3. Does your choice tell you anything about your own thoughts and beliefs about the Passion of Jesus?

In brief: Scourging was both a punishment in itself and a preliminary to crucifixion. The beating Jesus endured seems to have been unusually severe, and probably contributed to his physical collapse on the way to Golgotha – he needed help from Simon of Cyrene. He also died more quickly than usual – crucified men often lived on in agony for several days.



Christ Carrying the Cross, El Greco

Christ Carrying the Cross, El Greco



The Crown of Thorns, Cranach

The Crown of Thorns, Cranach



Christ as the Man of Sorrows, Pedro de Mena, 1673

Christ as the Man of Sorrows, Pedro de Mena, 1673



Lamb of God (Agnus Dei), Francisco de Zurbarans

Lamb of God (Agnus Dei), Francisco de Zurbarans



The Crowning with Thorns, Caravaggio

The Crowning with Thorns, Caravaggio



The Flagellation, Caravaggio

The Flagellation, Caravaggio



The Flagellation of Christ, Caravaggio

The Flagellation of Christ, Caravaggio



The Scourging of Christ, Titian

The Scourging of Christ, Titian



The Flagellation of Christ, Peter Paul Rubens

The Flagellation of Christ, Peter Paul Rubens



Christ Crowned with Thorns, Hans Holbein the Elder

Christ Crowned with Thorns, Hans Holbein the Elder

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Jesus Christ



Modern images of Jesus and Mary






Birth of Jesus


Pilate’s trial

‘Behold the man’ said Pontius Pilate


Questions for Bible study groups

  1. The first painting on this page – of Jesus before Pontius Pilate – is probably familiar. But the others are rarely seen. Why is the subject of Jesus before Pilate less popular with painters? 
  2. Does the images of Jesus in these paintings fit with your personal image of Jesus? Why? Why not?
  3. Compare several of the images of Christ, eg Caravaggio’s, Bosch’s, Mantegna’s. Which artist has captured the Trial most effectively?

In brief: Jesus, charged with sedition and insurrection, appeared before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Pilate questioned Jesus, had him flogged, then presented him to a crowd assembled at the praetorium: ‘Look at this man!’ said Pilate. ‘I find no fault in him.’

But he killed Jesus anyway.



'Ecce Homo' (Behold the Man), Antonio Ciseri

‘Ecce Homo’ (Behold the Man), Antonio Ciseri



'Ecce Homo' (Behold the Man), Quintin Massys

‘Ecce Homo’ (Behold the Man), Quintin Massys



'Ecce Homo' (Behold the Man), Mantegna

‘Ecce Homo’ (Behold the Man), Mantegna



'Ecce Homo' (Behold the Man), Caravaggio

‘Ecce Homo’ (Behold the Man), Caravaggio



'Ecce Homo' (Behold the Man), Hieronomys Bosch

‘Ecce Homo’ (Behold the Man), Hieronomys Bosch



Christ Before Pilate, Mihaly Munkacsy

Christ Before Pilate, Mihaly Munkacsy



Matthias Stomer

Matthias Stomer

Mathias_Stomer_Pilate_washes_his_hands_after_the_condemnation_of_Christ_1650
The first of these two paintings by Matthias Stomer is labelled ‘Christ before Pilate’; the second, ‘Pilate washes his hands after condemning Jesus’. But the figure called Pilate is clearly a Jewish elder (Caiaphas?), not a Roman. Romans were always clean-shaven, not bearded: the word ‘barbarian’ comes from the Latin for ‘beard’.
Is it the painter’s mistake, or the art specialists’?

Find Out More


Jesus Christ



Modern images of Jesus and Mary






Birth of Jesus


Gethsemane

Famous paintings of Jesus at Gethsemane


Questions for Bible study groups

  1. Look at the paintings of Jesus’ Agony, below. Which one appeals to you most? Why? 
  2. How is Jesus portrayed in these paintings?
  3. Does this image of Jesus fit with your personal image of Jesus? Why? Why not?
  4. See Hidden Meanings at the bottom of this page.

After the Last Supper, Jesus and three of his closest friends went into an olive garden outside the walls of Jerusalem. Jesus knew he faced a terrible ordeal and, while his friends slept, he prayed to be spared. His prayer strengthened him and he was able to accept his future, placing his faith in God.


Christ in the Garden of Olives, Nicolai Ge (Gai)

Christ in the Garden of Olives, Nicolai Ge (Gai)


Agony in the Garden, James Tissot


Gethsemane, Carl Bloch

Gethsemane, Carl Bloch


Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, Heinrich Hofmann, 1890

Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, Heinrich Hofmann, 1890


The Agony in the Garden, Ambrogio Bergognone, 1501

The Agony in the Garden, Ambrogio Bergognone, 1501


The Agony in the Garden, El Greco, 1590-1600

The Agony in the Garden, El Greco, 1590-1600


The Agony in the Garden, Fra Angelico, fresco, 1450

The Agony in the Garden, Fra Angelico, fresco, 1450


Find Out More


Jesus Christ



Modern images of Jesus and Mary






Birth of Jesus


Hidden meanings in the paintings of Jesus

  • Agony in the Garden, paintings, Carl BlochPeter is shown as grey-haired with a curly beard and perhaps a sword (in anticipation of his cutting off the servant’s ear); James who has dark hair and a beard; John, the youngest, with long hair sometimes down to his shoulders.
  • Many paintings merge the Agony with the Betrayal – look for a group of approaching figures in the background. These are soldiers led by Judas.
  • Paintings of the Agony suggest that Jesus saw his future all too clearly. They sometimes show an angel offering him the instruments of torture.
  • Hebrew Gat Shemanim (Gethsemane) means ‘oil press’. The garden was an olive grove.
  • ‘Agony’ is the spiritual struggle between the two sides of Jesus’ nature, the human that feared suffering and wanted to avoid it, the divine that gave him strength:
  • In early examples we may see, instead of the angel, the head of God the Father or his symbol, a right hand pointing out of a cloud.