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- 1. Imagining the Invisible Exploring twenty centuries of Christian Art Simon Nash Business Connect 16 January 2013
- 2. Imagining the Invisible What did Jesus look like? Lack of primary examples. Images of NT and OT figures. Jewish sacred art tradition. Hellenic and Roman customs in sacred art. Why is this important?
- 11. Sixth Century
- 12. Sixth Century
- 13. Sixth Century
- 14. Ninth Century
- 15. Tenth Century
- 19. Eleventh Century
- 20. Twelfth Century
- 21. Twelfth Century
- 24. 13th Century
- 30. Da Messina 1465
- 31. Piero della Francesca (1468)
- 33. Bosch 1485
- 36. :
- 37. Michelangelo
- 38. Leonardo da Vinci 1498
- 40. Titian (1505)
- 44. Velazquez (1626) Christ After the Flagellation Contemplated by the Christian Soul
- 46. Rembrandt 1648
- 52. Elias Garcia Martinez - 1894
- 53. Christ the Redeemer - 1931
- 58. Twentieth Century Popular Devotional
- 62. Central America
- 63. North America
- 64. Africa
- 66. Asia
- 67. India
- 68. Sri Lanka and India
- 69. Coptic
- 73. 1960’s
- 74. 1970’s
- 75. 1977 – Robert Powell
- 76. 1979 – Graham Chapman?
- 77. 1988 – Willem Dafoe
- 78. 2004 – Jum Caveziel
- 80. 2007 – Joseph Mawle
- 84. Jon McNaughton
- 85. Stephen Sawyer
- 86. Macho Jesus
- 87. Avenging Jesus
- 90. Pizza halo Jesus
- 97. Isaiah 53:2 53 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him
Editor's Notes
- Colossiabn 1:15 – he is the Eikon of the invisible God.East window of St Ouen’s Parish Church Jersey
- Hebrews 1: 1-3a “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful wordWhat did Jesus look like? No paintings, drawings, statues or even written description exist from the first two centuries.From NT times we have images of Herod the Great, Pontius Pilate, Emperors Augustus and Tiberius and from OT times we know what Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, Xerxes and Rameses II.Jewish sacred art tended not to depict the human form, and definitely would not portray the Divine in visual art or sculpture – that would be idolatry.As the gospel reached Greek and Roman culture, which featured a much greater emphasis on the visual and depictive, so the Church began to create art which portrayed Jesus.Importance – we follow Jesus by seeking to live in his Way – a tenet of Christian theology is that Jesus’ life is the closest we’ll know to what God is like. Hebrews 1:3. We take this to mean that Jesus’ character, motivations and actions show us what God is like, but visual art is a way of showing character, motivation and action. Jesus is our model, example and teacher – the Holy Spirit enables us to become like Jesus.
- Another catacomb image, this time from the Catacomb of Callixtus or San Callisto, which is the burial place of some 16 popes.Sited along the Appian way, these catacombs were built after AD 150, In a nearby cubiculum are some of the most ancient burials, after AD 175, with Roman frescoes of (on the ceiling) the Good Shepherd and on the far wall two fish with a basket of loaves behind it, a symbol of the Eucharist.
- This may be the earliest example of a depiction of Jesus dated to around 250 AD. It is found in the Catacomb of Priscilla near Rome. This catacomb was used from the late 2nd century.Good Shepherd from the Catacomb of Priscilla, 250-300. They contain a number of wall paintings of saints and early Christian symbols. Christian symbols such as the painting reproduced in Giovanni Gaetano Bottari's folio of 1754, where the Good Shepherd is depicted as feeding the lambs, with a crowing cock on His right and left hand.The catacomb of Priscilla, mentioned in all the ancient liturgical and topographic sources, has its modern entrance on the Via Salaria through the cloister of the monastery of the Benedictines of Priscilla.
- Roman catacombs, 300-350 Jesus heals the bleeding womanMark 5:21-43, Matthew 9:18-26, Luke 8:40-56
- Via Latina, Catacomb, RomeRaising of Lazarus, Wall Painting, 350-400Note the wand Jesus uses to raise Lazarus, which is commonly attested in the non-canonical gospels.No halo, no beard
- c. 565/6. Apse mosic. St Catherine's Monastery, Sinai. Beginnings of a stylised image of Christ which became standard in Byzantine and later Orthodox Christianity.Theological debates focused on the divinity of the second person of the Trinity. One of the debates at the time was whether Jesus experienced human emotions, which in Greek philosophy are incompatible with God… hence the rather blank stare which has remained a stable of Christian art for centuries. Cruciform halo - becomes a staple of Byzantine and later Orthodox depiction.One of the most common of such images is the Christ Pantocrator (or Christ Almighty), which depicts Christ, usually isolated against a golden background, with his head encircled by a halo, his left arm hugging the gospels to his chest and his right hand raised in the sign of benediction.
- 6th cent. Painted wooden panel. St Catherine's Monastery, Sinai. Very dry atmosphere has preserved painted colours better than anywhere else. First depiction of Jesus holding the book – may not a be Bible / Gospel, which was not yet bound in a single folio – probably representative of the Book of Life.Look at the gesture – two fingers and thumb extended third and fourth fingers closed - sign of benediction in early Christian and Byzantine art, and its use continued through the Medieval period, and into the Renaissance. It is important to note that this gesture is always made with the right hand, as this is the hand with which one blesses, according to Christian doctrine.The sign was originally derived from a symbol used in Roman art to indicate speaking, and first gained popularity as a Christian symbol shortly after Constantine's issue of the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, allowing Christians to practice their religion freely, without the threat of persecution. As Christian art evolved, symbols, including Christ's hand gestures, took on deeper significance. With the thumb opened, the three open digits came to represent the Trinity (The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), while the two closed represented the dual nature of Christ as both man and God. The Greek Orthodox church began to make use of a symbol derived from a common abbreviation of the Greek version of Christ's name. In this manifestation of the sign of blessing, the first finger is held erect, representing an 'I'; the second is bent in the shape of a 'C'; the thumb and third finger cross to form an 'X'; and the pinky, like the second finger, curves into a 'C'. Thus, the five digits together spell out "IC XC" an abbreviation of the Greek name of Jesus Christ, taken from the first and last letters of both parts of his name. The Roman Catholic Church, meanwhile, maintained the use of the three open digits and two closed (now so familiar to Westerners). The early sign, in which the thumb is closed, had by this time faded almost completely.
- Baptism and apostles, c. 500-25. Dome mosaic, Baptistery of the Arians (now Sta Maria in Cosmedin), Ravenna. Also a rare depiction of the naked Christ in baptism!Note fall of Rome 410 – shift to Byzantine Empire.
- San Vitale, Ravenna. Apse mosaic.Jesus Lord of all – holds a crown, sits astride the world.
- Christ and Emperor Leo VI, late 9th cent. Narthex mosaic, St Sophia, Istanbul. Emperor Leo VI, the wise, the philosopher reigned over Byzantine Empire from 886 to 912Circled figures – possibly BVM and Justinian I
- Basil II & Constantine VIII 976-1025 AD. Basil II Byzantine Emperorwho reigned from 10 January 976 to 15 December 1025. Nicknamed by "the Bulgar-slayer" - defeated Bulgars and also Khazars (modern day Jews) in a reign of war that expanded the once weakened Byzantine Empire.Constantine VIIIwas reigning Byzantine Emperor from 15 December 1025 until his death on 11 November 1028. He was the theyounger brother of the eminent Basil II, who died childless. Constantine VIII had been crowned with his brother by their father from 962; he was then only 2. However, for some 63 out of the 68 years of his life he was eclipsed by other emperors, including Nikephoros II Phokas, John I Tzimiskes, and Basil II. Even when his elder brother became senior emperor, Constantine was perfectly content to enjoy all the privileges of Imperial status without concerning himself with state affairs. On occasion Constantine participated in his brother's campaigns against rebels. Otherwise he spent his life in the search of pleasure and entertainment, including spectator sports at the Hippodrome of Constantinople, or amusing himself with riding and hunting. Physically Constantine was tall and graceful, where Basil had been short and stocky. He was a superb horseman. By the time he became emperor, he had chronic gout and could hardly walk. His reign was a disaster because he lacked courage and political savvy. He reacted to every challenge with impulsive cruelty, persecuting uppity nobles and allegedly ordering the execution or mutilation of hundreds of innocent men. Constantine carried on as he always had: hunting, feasting, and enjoying life – and avoided state business as much as possible. He was poor at appointing officials.
- Compare tenth Century Byzantine coinage with Fourth century Roman.Emperor Constantine shares his coin with Sol Invictus - the crowned Sun God.
- Christ with Constantine IX and Zoe, 1042-55. Mosaic. St Sophia, Istanbul.Zoe was the second daughter of Constantine VIII, succeeded her uncles in 1028 until her death in 1050 Banished her sister Theodora to a monastery after accusing her of a plot.Killed her first husband, her cousin Romanos III – poisoned, then strangled, then drowned.Married her courtier Michael IV that same day.Her second husband’s brother excluded her from power and she conspired against her brother in law, who spied on her. This brother-in-law arranged that she adopt of his 26 year old nephew, who succeeded to the throne that same year as Michael VMichael V reigned for 4 months before being deposed, blinded and cloistered.She engaged to marry for the third time, in order to prevent her banished sister succeeding her.Her fiancé (who was still married to his own wife) and whom she'd had a affair with under he first husband died a few days before the wedding, possibly poisoned by his wife.She then married another former lover, who, like her, had been married twice before. Constantine IX (1042–1050)The Patriarch of Constantinople Alexius I refused to officiate.Then we have this piece of art showing Christ blessing this union!This new, third husband brought his own mistress to court and called her Empress (alongside Zoe and her sister)A mob nearly deposed Constantine and this mistress.During Constantine’s reign, Zoe gladly handed over all imperial power and responsibility to her husband. Until her death in 1050,she enjoyed various amusements, with her rooms in the palace were filled with boiling pots and pans, for the manufacture of ointments and perfumes.It is said she was stunningly beautiful, and that "every part of her was firm and in good condition." She was aware of her charms and meant to keep and use them for as long as possible. With typical Byzantine ingenuity, she had many rooms in her chambers converted into laboratories for the preparation of secret ointments, and she was able to keep her face free of wrinkles until she was sixty.
- Christ Crowns Romanos and Eudokia, theRomanosIvoryEudokiaMakrembolitissa(c.1021 – 1096) was the second wife of the Byzantine emperor Constantine X Doukas. After his death (1067) she acted as regent and became the wife of Romanos IV Diogenes. She was also the niece of Michael Keroularios, Patriarch of Constantinople, whose sister had married John Makrembolites.Eudokia was the second wife of Constantine X.She promised him as he lay dying in 1067 she would not marry again and then immediately took Romanos as her husband and co-Emperor, against the wishes of her son who expected the throne.Romanos had earlier been imprisoned and exiled for plotting to the throne. However, Eudokia did not live very happily with her new husband, who was warlike and self-willed and increasingly excluded her from power. Romanos was taken prisoner and assumed dead. Eudokia’s son became Emperor. When it ws discovered Romano had survived and was returning to Constantinople he was deposed and the pair of them were cloistered. After her stepson Michael VII was deposed 7 years later she was recalled by the new Emperor Alexius the Macedonian and offered marriage, but she died before this could happen.
- 11th CenturyStained glass from Wissembourg, France
- The Pantokrator. Mosaic, 1148.THE TWELFTH CENTURY ART IN ITALYCefaluCathedral,1131-48: Note the Greek style hand gesture and the lapis lazuli robe.
- The Pantokrator, angels and saints, 1192. Wall-painting in the dome. Church of the Theotokos, Laoudera, Cyprus.
- Image of Christ from the the great Deesis mosaic from the Upper South Gallery in Hagia Sophia, the Church of Holy Wisdom, in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey).In Byzantine art, a Deesis is a traditional representation of Virgin Mary and Saint John the Baptist, imploring Christ the salvation of man. It is believed that the mosaic either dates from 1185-1204 (in 1204 the city fell to Crusading armies ending all artsistic patronage in the city)--or just after 1261 when the Byzantines regained their capital from the Latin invaders.The image was discovered under layers of plaster in 1938. It is considered to be a pioneer for the Byzantine art in Renaissance period with its soft tones, the intense humanity and the emotional realism on the faces of the figures. It remains in its original position in Hagia Sofia, which in 1935 was converted to a museum by the Republic of Turkey."
- The Deesis, c.1260s, Mosaic. South gallery, St Sophia, Istanbul.
- 13th CenturyByzantine mosaic, San Marco, VeniceNote the “eastern” or Greek style of hand gesture – Venice was part of the Byzantine Empire and not under Roman influence.
- In 1988 a radiocarbon dating test was performed on small samples of the shroud. The laboratories at the University of Oxford, the University of Arizona, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, concurred that the samples they tested dated from the Middle Ages, between 1260 and 1390
- Veil of St Veronica
- We are now in the European Renaissance – compare this image to the thirteenth century mosaic (slide 24). Renaissance art tended to be more narrative, showing something happening in the life of Christ. The visual clues now are pure European, with no hint of Jesus’ Palestinian ethnicity or Semitic culture. Artist: Pierodella FrancescaCompletion: 1450Technique: tempera on woodNational Gallery, London,
- Artist: Giovanni BelliniDate: c.1460Technique: oil on woodMusée du Louvre, ParisStill see the gesture of blessing, but in its Western form, and the Book of LifeStigmata show this as a Resurrection image
- Christ Giving the Keys to St. Peter (Consegnadellechiavi)Painted by: PietroVannucci Perugino
- Narthex mosaics. Katholikon, OsiosLoukasNote– AnastasisAlexios I Komnenos, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus, was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118, and although he was not the founder of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during his reign that the Komnenos family came to full power
- 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel; the work took approximately four years to complete (1508–1512)
- Last Supper (copy) 16th centuryLeonardo Da VinciApril 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519This image is notable recently for the fantasies of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci code.
- Title:Head of ChristPaintedby:Leonardo Da VinciLocation:Pinacoteca Di Brera, Milan, ItalyOrientation:Portrait
- Titian follows Leonardo’s innovation with greater emotional interaction Title:Christ Carrying The CrossPaintedby:TizianoVecellio (Titian)Orientation:Portrait
- 16th CenturyRenaissance painting by Titian
- Flagellation Of Christ 1510Il Sodoma (Giovanni Antonio Bazzi)Museum Of Fine Arts, Budapest, Hungary
- Christ with the ChaliceJuan De (Vicente) Juanes (Masip)Museum Of Fine Arts, Budapest, Hungary
- Christ After the Flagellation Contemplated by the Christian Soul Artist:Diego VelazquezDate:1628Style:BaroqueTechnique:oil on canvas
- Borgia was the son of Pope Alexander VI. He is said to have influenced all European art depicting Jesus. It's widely accepted that the classic depiction of Jesus is not accurate, because Jesus would have not have looked like a white European. Many scholars believe that Cesare Borgia was the basis for some depictions of Jesus that eventually became the standard look that is used until today. At the time, the Pope was allowed to marry. Pope Alexander VI, however, was known for having many mistresses. In 1476, Cesare Borgia was born as an illegitimate child of the Pope.He was the Pope’s favorite son and by 15 years old was the Bishop of Pamplona. He became Cardinal by his 18th birthday. Cesare is said to have had his older brother Giovanni assassinated out of envy.
- In the fourth century it became common for many Gentile peoples throughout the Roman Empire (who had long worshiped pagan gods and goddesses) to begin identifying their deities of old with the newly honored Jesus, Mary, and the “twelve apostles” (plus other saints of the Old and New Testaments). One particular deity that seemed to blend together the attributes of several gods into a unified portrayal of deity was the Egyptian god “Sarapis.” This god had been famous for 600 years in Egypt and now his worship was found all over the Roman Empire. He was equated with the Greek Zeus (the chief god over all other gods) along with Asclepius (the god of healing). The statues of Asclepius (the pagan god of healing) were images "that imitated Zeus and that his portraiture influenced artists in depicting both Sarapis [the Egyptian Zeus] and Christ“Remarkably, the pagan god Sarapis of the fourth century appeared very much like what Christians (from the time of Constantine onwards) began to depict as their “Jesus.” At that time the people began to abandon all of the early depictions of Christ made in the previous hundred years or so (which showed ‘Jesus normally as young, beardless and with short hair. The above bust is in the British Museum of Sarapis, the Egyptian version of Zeus (the chief of the Gentile gods).
- Why do we not see much Christian Art between 1632 and 1853?Modernism - not so interested in religious themes. Lots of images of classical deities, human portraits (e.g. Gainsborough), landscapes (e.g. Constable) etc. Religious art was driven out of the Protestant churches and became quite imitative in Catholic and Orthodox.Holman Hunt was seen as an innovator of his age, and paved the way for devotional art for private consumption and display.
- This is a typical example of Christ the King often used in western Catholic religious art.
- Ecce Homo (Behold the Man) by Elias Garcia Martinez has held pride of place in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza for more than 100 years, but residents of the small Spanish town are reeling after a beloved painting of Jesus was found defaced. The culprit: an elderly woman who tried to touch up the weathered fresco herself. She claims to have had the best intentions and permission from the priest at the church housing the fresco.
- The great statue of Christ the Redeemer, over Rio de Janeiro, shows a number of features of twentieth century art deco.
- Warner Sallman (April 30, 1892 – May 25, 1968) was a Christianpainter from Chicago. He created commercial advertising images and worked as a freelance illustrator.[1] He is most associated with his portrait, The Head of Christ of which more than 500 million copies have been sold.[2][3] In 1994, the New York Times called him the "best-known artist of the century".[The Head of Christ originated as a charcoal sketch entitled The Son of Man done in 1924 and sold to be the cover of the Covenant Companion, the denominational magazine for the Evangelical Covenant Church. He did several variations of the painting over the years, and the first oil version was done in 1935 for the fiftieth anniversary celebration of the Evangelical Covenant Church. In 1940 he was asked to reproduce that painting by the students of North Park Theological Seminary. This reproduction was seen by representatives of the Gospel Trumpet Company, the publishing arm of the Church of God (Anderson), who created a new company called Kriebel and Bates to market Sallman's work. The Baptist Bookstore initially popularized the painting, distributing various sized lithographic images for sale throughout the southern United States. The Salvation Army and the YMCA, as members of the USO, handed out pocket-sized versions of the painting to American servicemen heading overseas during World War II.
- There were literally thousands of reworkings of the Sallman “Behold I stand at the door and knock.” Many have quite gaudy colours and florid displays of foliage, with glowing white robes for the Jesus figure.
- This selection of twentieth century images shows the remarkable congruence of accepted features in the c20 image.
- 20th CenturyPainting, "Black Jesus Blesses the Children" by Joe Cauchi
- Up to now our journey has taken us from Byzantine to European images, including American.Now we look at a few images of Jesus from around the world…
- El SalvadorSee the emphasis on plants and animals around Jesus and the stylised Central American landscape.
- Here we see a version of Jesus Blesses the Children, with recognisable Inuit hair and facial features. Jesus is also well shod for walking on snow.
- Three images from Southern AfricaThe red clock is a symbol of being a tribal elder.
- This image from China is a good example of a rich tradition of Chinese Christina Art,
- Christ_guru Oil painting by M. P. Manoj, based on the original drawing by Joy Elamkunnapuzha, CMI
- Sri LankaIndia
- This picture is one of the most famous LDS paintings out there, by Del Parsons. According to Mormon folklore, a prophet told him this was the most accurate depiction of Jesus and was therefore approved for world-wide distribution.
- Members of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society often show depictions of Jesus in their pamphlets. The imagery is fairly standard United States twentieth century. Note that JW depictions of the crucifixion show a single vertical pole, rather than the more commonly seen Cross or T- shape. This comes from their translation of the Greek Stavros, as “Stake.”
- One we get into the second half of the twentieth Century the principal expression of visual art is film.Two early depictions of Christ in the 1960’s are clearly influenced by the devotional tradition of Warner Sallman.King of kings 1961 – Jeffrey HunterMax Von Sydow 1965 the greatest story ever told
- The 1970’s were a time of artistic experimentation and an identification with counter-cultural figures.The Jesuses of Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar portray a very different character from the conservative figures of Jeffrey Hunter and Max Von Sydow.Godspell 1973 – Victor GarberJC superstar 1973 – Ted Neeley
- Robert Powell played Jesus in Franco Zeferelli’s iconic Jesus of NazarethFor many this was a definitive performance. Powell later described how he achieved his other-wordly impression by going long periods without blinking.Zeferelli also does more than any of the preceding film-makers to show the Roman occupation in the life of Jesus.Before its initial broadcast, Jesus of Nazareth came under ideological fire from some American Protestant fundamentalists, led by Bob Jones III, president of Bob Jones University in South Carolina. Zeffirelli had told an interviewer from Modern Screen that the film would portray Jesus as "an ordinary man—gentle, fragile, simple". Jones interpreted this as meaning that the portrayal would deny Christ's divine nature. Having never seen the film, Jones denounced it as "blasphemy." Others picked up the cry and 18,000 letters were sent to General Motors, which had provided $3 million of the film's cost. Sacrificing its investment, GM backed out of its sponsorship.[5]In making his film, Zeffirelli explicitly wished to deemphasize the traditional accusation of deicide against the Jews. Some 26 years later, Zeffirelli laid blame for this very error against The Passion of the Christ (2004), which was produced and directed by Mel Gibson. Zeffirelli had directed Gibson in Hamlet (1990).[12]
- The 70’s ended with Monty Python’s much criticised and also much loved story of Brian, one who lived at the same time as Jesus and was mistakenly followed a band of fanatics. Described by the MervynStockwood (Bishop of Southwark) as a tenth rate film.Graham Chapman
- Willem Dafoe played Christ in another controversial movie – Martin Scorsese’s 1988 “Last Temptation of Christ”In last temptation Jesus is portrayed as a character who mixes both an esoteric mystical spirituality with the grim life of Roman occupation.A particularly touching element of this portrayal was the contract carpentry Jesus does, early in the film – making crosses.The “last temptation” of the title was to come off the cross and enjoy a normal life, getting married, having kids and dying of old age in obscurity. His vision of what the Apostle Paul would have been like without the crucifixion and resurrection convinces him willingly to endure to pain of a shameful and early death.
- Jim Caveziel played Jesus in Mel Gibson’s 2004 The Passion of the Christ. As its name suggests the action takes place from Gethsemane to Calvary, but there are flashbacks which show the life of Jesus – including the anachronistic invention of the modern European table.The film is perhaps best known for its lurid special effects of the flagellation and crucifixion and for Gibson’s trademark shoulder dislocation, which would have rendered the crucifixion mercifully short
- Jean-Claude La MarreColor of the Cross (2006) Featuring a black Jesus, asks was the crucifixion racially motivated?
- BBC The Passion
- Jon Mcnaughton
- Stephen Sawyer
- Jim Caveziel
- The RevolutionaryThis arresting picture of Jesus as a revolutionary, imitating the style of the famous poster of 1960s fighter Che Guevara, was produced as an advertising poster encouraging people to go to church during Easter 1999.This poster image was produced by the Churches Advertising Network – an independent group of UK Christian communicators. One of the group, Peter Owen Jones, described seeing the first design for the poster, which then had a different slogan…“We have a picture of Christ cast in the same pose as Che Guevara; underneath, the line reads, “Public enemy number one: discover the real Jesus of Easter.” It’s good, it’s very good indeed. The media will go mad… But as a piece of communication which is trying to say this man was a revolutionary – a spiritual revolutionary – it is simple and memorable” (Small Boat, Big Sea, Peter Owen Jones).Another member of the group which produced this version of Jesus said: “Jesus was not crucified for being meek and mild. He challenged authority. He was given a crown of thorns in a cruel parody of his claims about proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Our poster has the most arresting picture our advertisers could find to convey all this – the image deliberately imitates the style of the well-known poster of Che Guevara.”What do you think? Do you see Jesus as a quiet, gentle man, or as a tough revolutionary
- Immersion (Piss Christ)is a 1987 photograph by the American artist and photographerAndres Serrano. It depicts a small plastic crucifix submerged in a glass of the artist's urine. The piece was a winner of the SoutheasternCenter for Contemporary Art's "Awards in the Visual Arts" competition,[1] which was sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, a United States Government agency that offers support and funding for artistic projects.The photograph is of a small plastic crucifix submerged in what appears to be a yellow liquid. The artist has described the substance as being his own urine in a glassSerrano has not ascribed overtly political content to Piss Christ and related artworks, on the contrary stressing their ambiguity. He has also said that while this work is not intended to denounce religion, it alludes to a perceived commercializing or cheapening of Christian icons in contemporary culture.[The art critic Lucy R. Lippard has presented a constructive case for the formal value of Serrano's Piss Christ, which she characterizes as mysterious and beautiful. She writes that the work is "a darkly beautiful photographic image… the small wood and plastic crucifix becomes virtually monumental as it floats, photographically enlarged, in a deep rosy glow that is both ominous and glorious." Lippard suggests that the formal values of the image can be regarded separately from other meanings.The piece caused a scandal when it was exhibited in 1989. Serrano received death threats and hate mail, and lost grants due to the controversy. Others alleged that the government funding of Piss Christ violated separation of church and state.[12][13]The work was vandalized at the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia, and gallery officials reported receiving death threats in response to Piss Christ.[14] Supporters argued that the controversy over Piss Christ is an issue of artistic freedom and freedom of speech.On April 17, 2011, a print of Piss Christ was vandalized "beyond repair" by Christian protesters while on display during the Je crois aux miracles (I believe in miracles) exhibition at the Collection Lambert, a contemporary art museum in Avignon, France.[17][18] Serrano's photo The Church was similarly vandalized in the attack.
- Corpus Christi is a passion play by Terrence McNally dramatizing the story of Jesus and the Apostles. Written in 1997 and first staged in New York in 1998, it depicts Jesus and the Apostles as gay men living in modern-day Texas. It utilizes modern devices like television with anachronisms like Roman occupation. Judas betrays Jesus because of sexual jealousy. Jesus administers gay marriage between two apostles.
- Ramon Martinez: Female Jesus
- Christianity has been and still is one of the most popular subject in the arts.See all paintings of Jesus here (warning: strictly speaking some of these will be NSFW). At the latter end of the Dark Ages where christianity was the focal point of society, the renaissance arose. It was in that period that most art was either based on mythology or christian religion.While in the 15th and 16th century paintings of Jesus and the saint were ever so popular, we notice that in in the late 17th, complete 18th and 19th and the early 20th century the focus point shifts and we rarely ever see Jesus in any painting of this era. This is not due to christianity becoming less popular or important in Europe but more to the evolution of art itself. In the late 20th century op till today Jesus and religion certainly revives in art, alas mostly because post-modern and contemporary art became more ironic than iconic.While ofcoursechristian religion is more than Jesus alone, in the next few galleries we decided to focus on paintings of Jesus.