Christ's Suffering

            Art is intentionally designed by the artist to visually compel its viewers to react in a certain manner. Some works relate to the audience on an emotional level, while some choose to engage the viewer mentally, asking the viewer to ponder their interpretation of the meaning of the artwork over extended periods of time. The significant power of art is its incredible ability to draw the audience in, either emotionally, philosophically, or through some combination of the two, and take the mind of the viewer to new realms of thought. One significant use of this visual power that the Christian artist must consider is the ability of his or her artwork to communicate theological concepts that the viewer may have not considered previously, either consciously or subconsciously ignoring said theological theme due to its uncomfortable nature. One specific theme that is often glossed over is the reality of Christ’s intense physical suffering in His death. Because Christ chose not only to die, but go through incredible sequences of anguish and pain before His death, the Christian viewer can often feel emotionally uncomfortable viewing the powerful God of the universe in agony. The focus of this exhibition is to purposely cause the viewer to be disturbed by the suffering of Christ in the passion narrative. These works all depict Christ in some form of pain, with the goal of shocking the viewer with visual imagery of how intensely Christ suffered for them. The hope of this collection is to encourage the audience to deeply reflect on the generous sacrifice of Christ from a renewed perspective, and to emotionally fill the heart of the viewer with a somber conviction of gratitude upon the realization of how much Christ suffered willingly for the sake of their salvation.

Christ before Pilate

Jacek Malczewski

1910

Oil on canvas

On Display at Lviv National Art Gallery

This work begins the gallery by inducting us right into middle of the passion narrative during the trial of Jesus. Here, Jesus stands before an indifferent Pilate, badly beaten and tied, with the crown of thorns and robe attached to his body. The purpose of this painting in this gallery is to highlight the injustice and mockery Christ faced. The artist purposely draws attention to Jesus’ robe by having Him hold up the robe by the corner in His fingers, and depicts the crown of thorns in a particularly wild and twisted manner. The emphasis placed on the two physical objects used to mock Christ reminds us that Jesus’ suffering not only involved physical abuse (as seen in Christ’s beaten face), but also vicious mockery of His kingship. This figure demands sympathy and compassion, making Pilate’s indifference on the left side of the painting all the more atrocious.

The Scourging on the Front

James Tissot

1886-1894

Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper

Brooklyn Museum, ascension number 00.159.263 

In connection with the injustice of Christ’s suffering and abuse that is highlighted in Christ before Pilate, this watercolor piece moves to highlight the brutal violence that was inflicted on Christ’s body. While other paintings of the flagellation of Christ depict Christ’s back being whipped, here Tissot highlights the absolute brutality of the scene by having Jesus face his abusers, and suffer while helplessly bound at the hands and feet. Pain and suffering are central to this piece, expressed in both Christ’s face and wounds, along with blood spattering across the ground.

Christ as the Man of Sorrows

Frans Crabbe van Espleghem

1522-1525

Engraving and etching

1997.372

This piece is very similar to Christ before Pilate in its depiction of Christ’s face. Here, we do not see the kind face of a loving Savior that we are accustomed to associate with Christ, but rather a grossly distorted face that looks more dead than alive. Christ’s crucifixion was not unlike any other torturous death in terms of trauma, and here the toll of the torture Jesus is suffering is depicted through Jesus holding his head while gazing upwards in an expression reminiscent of a concussion. Note the holes in Christ’s hand; although he has not yet been crucified, foreshadowing is artistically used to remind us of Christ’s looming death on a gross instrument of torture.

Christ Crowned with Thorns

Antonello da Messina (Antonello di Giovanni d’Antonio)

1470

Oil, possibly over tempera, on Wood

32.100.82

This piece constructs the face of Christ in incredible detail, conveying the emotions of Christ during the crucifixion through his facial expression. The immediate draw of the painting is found in the eyes, which express an enormous amount of pain and sadness. While previous works in this gallery have highlighted the physical abuse of the body of Christ, this painting does not contain a single wound pictured on Christ’s body, and the only element connecting this figure to Christ’s death is the crown of thorns on his head. Instead, this painting chooses to consider the emotional toll of the crucifixion, communicating to us that Christ’s pain is not just to be considered in terms of pure physical torture, but also in terms of the emotional pain Christ endured.

The Man of Sorrows

Aelbert Bouts

1525

Oil on oak

32.100.55

This painting takes the physical suffering of Christ as depicted in the first three works and masterfully combines it with the emotional anguish found in Christ Crowned with Thorns. Here blood is mixed with tears as we are drawn not only to the gushing wounds in Christ’s forehead and hands, but also to the bleary eyes of Jesus that are reddened from crying, with wet tears still falling from his face. His skin is pale and grey, depicted in a similar shade as is found in the centerpiece work of The Entombment.

The Entombment

Moretto da Brescia (Alessandro Bonvicino)

1554

Oil on Canvas

12.61

This work is the centerpiece of the exhibit. In each other work in this exhibit, Christ has been in anguish, but alive. As such, this last piece serves as a final devastating reminder of the ultimate result of all the depicted pain and suffering: death. Despite only recently dying, Christ is depicted here as a heavily aged cadaver, with the finality and reality of His death being artistically conveyed. The anguish that was found in the face of Christ is now seen in the faces of His followers, eliciting anguish in our own faces as well. The suffering of Christ is now complete, it has ended in His brutal death.