"He remained what he was; what he was not, he assumed"

 “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by
Look and see
if there is any sorrow like my sorrow,
    which was brought upon me,
which the Lord inflicted
    on the day of his fierce anger.” Lamentations 1:12

    We were not present during the time of the suffering Christ. All we have are images created about Christ’s passion depicting from our imagination how it was to be ridiculed, mocked and the face of betrayal. The emotion of Christ’s sorrow has also been displayed in smaller wooden household objects from the early to late 16^th centuries. Both the Netherlands and the Spanish do this particularly well when it comes to making small wooden household objects. These artists invite us to imagine with them as they display the passion of Christ in a narrative way, depicting the different events of the betrayal, ridicule, crucifixion, and entombment of Christ. Two of the wooden household objects are prayer beads. Both display different points in the passion of Christ and both are from the Netherlandish culture but not with specific artists. The medallion depicting Christ is also Netherlandish and made of boxwood. The last two artworks are both from Spanish culture, made with wood colored with polychrome. The beads have a lot of detail and carving of the passion of Christ. In the first one we see Christ fallen on the ground receiving water from a woman as a Roman soldier is about to whip him. The next prayer bead depicts the Lord in front of Pilate and the crucifixion of Christ in great detail, showing an imagined representation of what it would’ve been like to be on trial and crucified. How do household objects display the Passion of Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

Title: Half of a Prayer Bead with Jesus carrying the cross

Date: Early 16th century

Culture: Netherlands

Medium: Boxwood

Dimensions: 2 11/16 × 2 1/2 × 1 5/16 in. (6.8 × 6.4 × 3.4 cm)

Classification: Sculpture-Miniature-Wood

The bead is a part of a rosary that is used to keep track of the sequence of prayer. Using Shape, Space, and Implied lines Morgan emphasizes that Jesus is falling while carrying the cross. It also directs our attention to the roman soldier near Jesus and the woman bowing down as Jesus is falling. By Jesus’ implied lines through the cross on his back creating a triangle, with the woman and the Roman soldier also occupying the same space as Jesus we know the are important. The shape of the bead is also circular and the triangle shape being implied helps the sculpture. The color of the whole sculpture is one color creating unity in the whole sculpture.

Title: Ecce Homo 

Artist: Pedro de Mena

Date: 1674-85

Culture: Spanish

Medium: Partial-gilt Polychrome wood

Dimensions: Overall (sculpture only, confirmed): 24 3/4 × 17 3/4 × 18 3/8 in. (62.9 × 45.1 × 46.7 cm);

Overall (on black base, confirmed): 26 1/4 × 21 × 16 1/8 in., 32 lb. (66.7 × 53.3 × 41 cm, 14.5 kg)

Classification: sculpture 

Pedro de Mena was apart of a naturalist and expressive force in the 17^th century. His artwork Ecce Homo depicts a very real lament and sadness. Mena’s goal was to make the figure seem physically present before us as we view the lamenting, betrayed Christ. Through Mena’s work Christ tears feel as if they will fall on our shirt if we get to close. It is almost as if we can hear the cries escaping from the frozen Christ’s mouth. 

Title: Medallion with the Betrayal of Jesus

Date: early 16^th century

Culture: Netherlandish

Medium: Boxwood

Dimensions: Diam. 2x1/16 in. (5.1x0.1 cm)

Classification: Sculpture-Miniature-Wood

The Inscription on the medallion reads “Through peace, Christ, he the traitor drags you to these people.” The medallion has a flower that is important for understanding the meaning of the inscription. The art of using boxwood to depict intense scenes is popular during this time. The artists used harder lines in the things that are the most important. Jesus is one of the most detailed and harder carved figures; in a way you cannot even make out Judas as he betrays Jesus. We also have the man laying on the ground because Peter has just cut off his ear. There are different points in the night happening as well looking at the upper right corner we see Judas receiving the money for Jesus’ betrayal which would’ve happened earlier in the night and in the bottom half Judas is physically betraying Jesus.

Title: Descent from the Cross

Date: early 16^th century

Culture: South-Netherlandish

Medium: Oak, Polychrome, and gilding

Dimensions: Overall: 23 3/4 x 11 1/4 x 4 3/4 in. (60.3 x 28.6 x 12.1 cm)

Classification: Sculpture-wood 

The two men that the artists is depicting in this wooden polychrome sculpture is of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea who are taking Jesus off of the cross to bury him. The artist does a great job of depicting a heavy Christ. Often time artists idealize bodies making them seem lighter than they are. Here the heavy Christ depicts the weight of the world being on his shoulders as he has died for the salvation of our sins, while having not sinned himself. 

Title: The Entombment of Christ

Date: 1700-1701

Culture: Spanish, Madrid

Medium: Polychrome Terracotta

Dimensions: Overall (confirmed): 19 1/2 × 26 × 17 in. (49.5 × 66 × 43.2 cm)

Classification: Sculpture 

Each of the six figures have emotional expressions on their face as the they lay Christ to rest in the tomb. The emotions are anger, grief, sadness and what looks like disbelief. This sculpture would’ve been used in monasteries for devotion. The holes in Jesus’ feet, hands and side are very depicted with red and big gapping holes which lets you know they are important. The emotions written on the faces of each person are very detailed and full of expression.