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.

"Christ of Saint John of the Cross"
Artist: Salvatore Dali
1951
Painting

Salvatore Dali’s Christ of Saint John of the Cross came out of a dream where he saw Christ’s crucifixion from God’s perspective. There are no wounds, thorns or agony present. The scene at the bottom of the image featuring a moored boat and still water adds to this image’s feeling of tranquility and peace. As God watches the crucifixion unfold, there is a sense of silence and wonder of God’s salvific handiwork being manifested.

This Surrealist painting is housed in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow, Scotland

"The Crucifixion"
Artist: Paul Delvaux
1952
Painting

In the 1950s Delvaux painted a series of religious paintings on the subject of the Passion of Christ. In this image, Christ is depicted as a skeleton on the cross between two other crucified skeletons. Below the skeletons gather the armored centurions. The skeleton of Christ is illuminated in bright light, but all the other figures are in shadow.

This work is oil on wood and is housed in the Royal Beaux-Arts Museum in Brussels

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