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: 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

"Descent From the Cross"
Artist: Unknown
c. 1475 - 1500
Sculpture

In the fifteenth century the theme of the Deposition of Christ from the Cross, part of the Easter narrative, was often represented in liturgical dramas on Good Friday. Small reliefs like this one were usually part of a large altarpiece. The original paint is exceptionally well preserved.

This wood sculpture was made out of fruitwood and then painted. Measurements are Overall: 22 5/8 x 13 3/16 x 6 1/4 in. (57.5 x 33.5 x 15.9 cm)
with base: 23 5/8 x 13 3/4 x 6 1/4 in. (60 x 35 x 15.9 cm). It is hused in The Metropolital Museum of Art in New York City.

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