All of these artists are similar in that they are interested in using values, colors, and symbolism to depict the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ; however they are different in that they are all from different periods of time, resulting in formal differences in the ways they communicate the sacrifice of Christ. This exhibition explores what we can learn from seeing how artists from different time periods and cultures have chosen to depict Jesus’ crucifixion. In early depictions of the crucifixion, bright colors and golds were used to portray the divinity of Jesus, while in later renditions, darker, more dramatic tones have been used to convey the humanity of Jesus. Many of the artists from earlier time periods painted a brighter, more idealized version of Jesus but as time has gone on, while artists from later time periods but as time has gone on, they’ve used cooler values and darker colors to display a more graphic, naturalistic version of Christ. It’s fascinating to not only see the artistic progress that takes place throughout these paintings, but also an expression of theological progress. In the earlier paintings we see how Jesus is super divine golden perfect handsome, as time goes on, the paintings of Jesus get increasingly more relatable, human, and bloody. This shows a generational progression in the expression of the suffering of God and what he has done. Jesus came down fully God and fully man, and although looking through these paintings does not fully explain the mystery of the incarnation, it does help us gain a better sense of the dichotomy of Christ.
Christ on the Vine Cross, early twelfth century. Apse Mosaic, Rome, S. Clemente.
Here we see a sad but graceful Jesus on a dove-laden cross surrounded by gold and green vines spiraled in intricate circles with flowers or heart-vases in their centers. Nearly everything about this version of Jesus screams “divine”: the halo around his head, the way his cross connects to the hand of God that is holding the universe in his hands, and the royal, gold background. We see that Christ and his cross are the center plant of all of the vines that spiral throughout the mosaic. We see too that the “Vines, grapes and wine-making — are symbolic of Christ’s sacrifice and of the Eucharist” (The Image of Christ: The catalogue of the exhibition SEEING SALVATION. Pg. 11).
The Deposition, about 1500-1505 Master of the Saint Bartholomew Altarpiece (active about 1470 to about 1510) Oil on Oak, 74.9 x 47.3 cm. Inscribed at the top of the cross in Hebrew and Greek: Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews. London, National Gallery, NG 6470
This painting displays both the humanity and divinity of Christ. There is a very royal feel to this work. Here we see somewhat of a golden frame around Jesus, who is being taken down from the cross that he was just crucified on. His pale body is being held by Nicodemus, still in the same position he was crucified in. All of the people down below are dressed in Medieval garb. We even see a human skull in the bottom center of the piece. It’s very bright and also somewhat cartoonish. We also see “Mary Magdalene, whose vase of ointment is on the ground, mourns the death of Christ, while another woman holds the crown of thorns” (The Image of Christ: The catalogue of the exhibition SEEING SALVATION. Pg. 69).
Raphael, The Crucified Christ with the Virgin Mary, Saints, and Angels (Mond Crucifixion), c.1503. Oil on poplar, 280.7 x 165.1 cm. London, National Gallery, NG 3943.
This painting displays a less intense, more inviting picture of the crucified Christ surrounded by the Virgin Mary, Saints, and Angels set in front of rivers and rolling hills. The colors here are still bright but are beginning to get quieter and calmer while the figures are getting steadily more graceful and dramatic. For the viewer, something about this painting is quiet and still even though the scene it depicts is not. The warm colors are more reminiscent of Psalm 23 than Psalm 22.
Matthias Grünewald, Isenheim Altarpiece 1512-1516 Unterlinden Museum at Colmar, Alsace, in France
This painting displays a very bright yet twisted and mangled Christ with broken skin in front of a dark, stormy sky. His limbs are bent at obscure angles, with shadows made apparent by the illumination of his pale flesh. This painting looks like it could have been set at night with a giant spotlight shining on a very graphic, naturalistic depiction of Jesus. This was painted for the Monastery of St. Anthony where the monks specialized in hospital work for those suffering from skin diseases. Jesus is painted with mangled skin and irritated sores to help the viewer see that Jesus could empathize with them in their suffering.
Cecco del Caravaggio, Christ on the Cross. Ca. 1615-20.
This work is painted on a wooden cross, almost giving Jesus’ figure a three dimensional look like he’s coming off of the cross and actually hanging there. His skin is painted a pale, gold color that makes him shine off of the wooden background. His torso is also unusually long, as if stretched from hours of hanging from the nails in his hands. The lines in his skin are unattractively emphasized. At the foot of the cross we see a skull with cross bones and splintered wood seemingly symbolizing the inevitability of death.
Hendrick ter Brugghen, The Crucifixion with the Virgin and Saint John, ca. 1624-25, oil on canvas, 61 in. × 40 1/4 in. (154.9 × 102.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Here we see the dimmest painting of the crucifixion yet. Here we have cold, starkly, white Jesus hanging from the cross. His body is bent in unnatural obscure angles. We can see the stress put on his forearms by the nails in his hands. His skin sags and shadows overtake him. Bright blood streams from his exposed wounds down to the ground where the Virgin Mary and Saint John stand near a human skull and pile of bones. The background is a murky brown color that brightens into an eerie yellow near the bottom of the painting. There’s a certain unbearable heaviness to this painting that confronts the viewer facing it.
Salvador Dalí, Christ of Saint John of the Cross, 1951 (1904-1989) Oil on canvas, 204.8 x 115.9 cm. Signed GALA. S. DALÍ Glasgow Museums, The St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art
Dali paints Christ in utter darkness, yet illuminated. The naturalistic, ugliness of his back as well as unattractive, wrinkled hands are displayed upon a crisp concrete-looking cross hanging in the sky over a boat in a body of water. The tones here are extremely dramatic and every line in his skin is made known by shadows. When looking at this piece, viewers should come away with a sense of relatability to Jesus in his humanity in his ugliness yet also simultaneously see the divinity of Jesus in the way he is above all of creation. It is a mystery to our understanding and yet is accepted and believed.
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