I was searching all over the internet this morning for a representation of either the empty tomb, or of the Christ rising from the tomb for an Easter post. There are a LOT of images out there to choose from!

This one struck me because this Jesus really looks he's been dead for 3 days. Not to mention the crucifixion before that, which must really take the wind out of guy's sails. This guy looks like he's been through the ringer!



Most of the risen Christs look pretty refreshed, like 3 days underground does a body good. I really think Jesus was probably more like this at first.

I found this over at Bible Paintings. Here is their commentary on this painting:

Date: 1490

Artist: Bramantino

Comment: The Resurrected Christ
Bramantino (circa 1465-1535) was a Lombard painter and architect whose real name was Bartolomeo Suardi. His works were noted for their fine architectural backgrounds - though there is little evidence of this in 'The Resurrected Christ'. If anything, it is the face, body and cloak that have an architectural quality, evidence of careful draughtsmanship.

It seems to me that Bramantino was trying to capture the image of a perfect man - perfect in form, in intellect, and in compassion.
At the same time, his 'Resurrected Christ' is a man who has passed through death and is now detached, no longer part of the world that we, the Living, inhabit.

The cloak that Jesus wraps around himself has an almost metallic sheen to it, mirroring the pallor of the skin. And yet when you look at the painting, you notice that the face itself has quite a different color to it, as if there is more life in it than there is in the body.

The skin is luminously pale, unearthly, even though it shows the marks of violence and the raised veins of a living body. The eyes are sad, looking through and past the viewer. They are the eyes of someone who is somewhere else. These eyes have seen things the Living have not seen. They are disquieting, perhaps because they make the viewer seem irrelevant.

Happy Easter, everyone! I'll see you next week.

Labels: art, holiday, link