Jesus' Crucifixion In Art

The symbol of Christ on the cross has infiltrated culture in innumerable ways, and depictions have become ubiquitous. There is no other subject matter that better reflects the historical progression of artistic expression. This is fitting, as there is no other event that has had comparable effect on all aspects of human history.

"The Crucifixion"
Artist: William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Painting

This work depicts the crucifixion of Jesus that occurred in 1st-century Judaea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels which state Jesus was arrested and tried by the Sanhedrin, and then sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally crucified by the Romans The Gospel of John portrays his death as a sacrifice for sin.

"The Flagellation of Christ"
Artist: Luca Signorelli
114475
Painting

This, believed to be Signorelli's earliest surviving work, was commissioned by the one-time "Confraternita dei Raccomandati" fraternity of the Church of Santa Maria del Mercato in Fabriano, Italy. It was intended to be included in processional demonstrations of public flagellation, and was thus requested by the members of the fraternity. The image directly references the biblical passages of John 19:1, when Pilates had sentenced Christ to be crucified, but not before being flogged by Roman soldiers while tied to a post. This work is believed to be one side of a double-sided panel, with the second side presenting The Nursing Madonna (as the fraternity also carried out philanthropic work to help orphaned and abandoned children). At some point between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, the two sides were separated.

this painting is Tempera on panel and is in the Pinacoteca de Brera, Milan, Italy

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