"Resurrection of Christ"

Carl Heinrich Bloch was an academic Danish artist.  Bloch went to Italy to study art, passing through the Netherlands, where he became acquainted with the work of Rembrandt, which became a major influence on him. 

The influence of the Renaissance is strongly evident in The Resurrection with its powerful pyramidal composition, giving the subject the import that it is due. The majestic Christ, bathed in light, stands at the apex of the triangle, with arms stretched upward. The two angels forming the base act as heavenly sentinels who worship and at the same time guard Him. The strong contrast of light and dark serves to emphasize Christ’s emergence from the tomb. The spear, the helmet, and smoldering fire have been abandoned by the guards as they fled in fear after the earth began to quake, and angels descend to roll back the heavy stone that sealed the tomb. A die with the number six lies on the fissured stone, perhaps referring to the casting of lots for his raiment by the guards.