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Jan 1, 1080
"Daphni Monastery (Mosaic of the Nativity)." (1080).
"Originally hosted a Temple of Apollo...The temple was destroyed around 395 after paganism was outlawed by the Christian emperor..in the 6th century, a small Christian monastery was built here...It was abandoned during the Slav invasions of the 7th and 8th centuries, then rebuilt on a much grander scale around 1080, when the Byzantine Empire was at its peak" (Sacred Destinations). -
Jan 1, 1100
"Medallion with Christ from an Icon Frame." (1100).
"This medallion of Christ is from a group of twelve that once surrounded an icon of the archangel Gabriel. The medallions may have been sent as a gift from the Byzantine court to the neighboring Christian state of Georgia" (The Met Museum). Given that there is no tangible true depiction of Christ, it is interesting to see how cultures tend to give members of the Godhead ethnic attributes that reflect their own. -
Jan 1, 1483
Verrochio, Andrea Del. "Christ and St. Thomas." (1476-1483).
"The gestures of the figures inextricably bind them together. Christ's upraised hand is traditional in this scene but Verrocchio has modified it to resemble both a blessing and a baptism. Even the drapery evokes the two personalities: the majestic folds of Christ's garment contrast with the more agitated cloth of the saint who doubted Christ's resurrection...Verrocchio's interest in physiognomy and expressive drapery was passed on to [Da Vinci]" (Krén). -
Jan 1, 1499
Buonarroti, Michelangelo. "Pietà." (1498-1499).
According to the Italian Renaissance website, the "Pietà" considered Buonarroti's (Michelangelo) most famous work. This piece, propelled Buonarroti's career as an accomplished renaissance artist due to its complexity and aesthetic appeal.
Furthermore, Its impact on expectators was (and is) so grand that it became a source of inspiration for artist and religious seekers since its birth. -
Jan 1, 1505
Buonarroti, Michelangelo. "Madonna of Bruges." (1505).
"Unlike many depictions of the Madonna and Child, this work is sober and serious. Symbolically, it illustrates the traditional idea that the Virgin was aware of her Child's tragic destiny; her pensive gaze seems to reflect this. In addition, Jesus steps down from her lap as if he too is aware of his future role. Here he seems ready to walk and to begin symbolically the journey that will lead to his Passion" (Sullivan). -
Jan 1, 1520
Sanzio, Raffaelo. "The Transfiguration." (1516-1520).
According the Vatican Museum website, although this piece commissioned by the second Medici pope, Pope Clement VII, it never quite made it to its cathedral due to Raffaelo's death the same year.
This piece shows two events as read in the book of Matthew, the transfiguration of Christ, and the apostles' attempt at casting a devil.
Furthermore, "this is Raphael's last painting and appears as the spiritual testament of the artist." -
Jan 1, 1548
Veronese, Paolo. "The Conversion of Mary Magdalene." (1548).
"The picture demonstrates Veronese’s sophisticated and witty approach to narrative and composition: the inward turning curve of the figures on the right is matched by the outward turning one of the architecture seen through the door in the wall on the left. The men bring our gaze to Mary, anchored in the centre by the two columns. Her attention – and with it, ours – is in turn led to Christ by Martha’s pointing hand" (National Gallery). -
Jan 1, 1579
El Greco. "El Espolio." (1577-1579).
Born Domenikos Theotokopoulos, El Greco moved to Spain from Rome after singlehandedly damaging his own reputation by harshly critiquing Michelangelo.
In spite of this blow, El Greco learned much from his stay in Rome as it is noted that this piece reflects all the artistic traits embodied in the area. "Naturalism, [a Venice] painterly technique...the audacious compositional ideas of the late Michelangelo; and a Mannerist emphasis on hyper-elegance and refinement" (National Trust Collection). -
Caravaggio, Michelangelo Merisi da. "Doubting Thomas." (1602).
"Caravaggio's technique was as spontaneous as his temper. He painted straight onto the canvas with minimal preparation. Sometimes he abandoned a disappointing composition and painted new work over the top...he used ordinary working people with irregular, rough and characterful faces as models for his saints and showed them in recognisably contemporary surroundings." (The National Gallery). What is striking to me about this piece is not Thomas touching Christ's wound but their shocked faces. -
Trevisani, Francesco. "The Virgin and Child." (1708-1710).
According to the Museo Del Prado, having studied under the influence of his father, Trevisani moved to Venice in order to further his artistic pursuits. Eventually settling in Rome, where his artistic career bloomed.
What is striking to me about this piece is that as Mary cradles her sleeping son, the tender love of a mother for her child is carefully depicted. This demonstrates an interesting facet of Christ's life. Despite His divine destiny, His beginning was akin to most. -
Lucy, Charles. "The Holy Family with the Infant John the Baptist (after Maratta)." (1769).
credited to "Charles Lucy (London 1692 - ?Rome after 1758), 1760s. [It depicts as] the infant cousins meet for the first time when they are both in Egypt" (National Trust Collections). -
Thorvaldsen, Bertel. "Christus (Christ)." (1821-1833).
"In September 1807, the Vor Frue Kirke (Our Lady’s Church), the National (Lutheran) Cathedral of Denmark, was destroyed during the bombardment of Copenhagen by the British navy. The church was rebuilt between 1817 and 1829...The internationally famous Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen...was asked to produce for the new church a series of colossal statues of Christ, John the Baptist, and the apostles. Of these, Christus (Christ) has become best-known" (Petra ten-Doesschate Chu and Peter Ahr). -
Ciseri, Antonio. "Ecce Homo." (1871).
According to the Art.com site, what makes this painting so striking is Ciseri's use of "Giclée, a method in which paint is sprayed onto the canvas to create color transition.
Furthermore, the appeal of this painting to me lies in Ciseri's incredible attention to detail. Which draws the eyes to not only Christ's and Pilate's clothing (both being the focus of the painting), but to the architecture as well. -
Alonso, Mateo. "Christ the Redeemer of the Andes." (1904).
FamousWonders notes, this piece embodies a resolution to a fierce territorial dispute between Chile and Argentina. Furthermore, the ensign is fittingly located in "the highest point on the road between Santiago de Chile and Mendoza in Argentina."
A symbol of peace and accord between two nations, supposedly made out of cannons they used to wage war against each other. -
Silva, Heitor Da. “Cristo el Redentor.” (1931).
One of the most recognized landmarks in the world. Christ the Redeemer, or Cristo el Redentor in native Portuguese, “stands 98 feet (30 meters) tall, its horizontally outstretched arms spanning 92 feet (28 meters). The statue, made of reinforced concrete clad in a mosaic of thousands of triangular soapstone tiles, sits on a square stone pedestal base about 26 feet (8 meters) high” (Britannica). -
Dali, Salvador. "Christ of Saint John of the Cross." (1951).
"The painting was inspired by a drawing, preserved in the Convent of the Incarnation in Avila, Spain, and done by Saint John of the Cross himself after he had seen this vision of Christ during an ecstasy. The people beside the boat are derived from a picture by Le Nain and from a drawing by Velazquex for The Surrender of Breda" (Dali Paintings). -
Rane, Walter. "He Anointed the Eyes of the Blind Man." (1991).
The foundation of arts noted that, Rane, a well versed artist whose traditional approach leans to a focus on the human anatomy, chose his focus to be the healing itself (Christ's hands and the blind man's face) instead of Healer (Jesus Christ).
A nontraditional approach to be sure as there isn't much detail on Christ Himself, other than on His hands. What draws attention to the painting itself are the vivid colors and attention to detail on the blind man's face. -
Ton, Konstantin. "Cathedral of Christ the Saviour." (1883 then again 2000).
Originally designed by the same architect who designed the Grand Kremlin Palace, Konstantin Ton, the Cathedral has had a tumultuous history since it's beginnings in 1839. For one, the original cathedral was not finished and consecrated by the Russian Orthodox Church until 1883, and in 1931 it was razed in order to built a palace, which was never built.
The church was rebuilt in respect to the original in 2000. The picture is a representation of Christ as a babe. it is found in the inner dome. -
Kramarik, Akiane. "Prince of Peace." (2003).
“Faces are more meaningful to me
than anything else, you cannot live
without seeing and touching them.”
-Akiane A child prodigy, born in Illinois, Kramarik was raised in an environment devoid of religion. However, at a young age she begun to experience visions and dreams which compelled her to paint deeply spiritual works of art. This particular piece was made when she was barely eight years of age. -
Martinez, Elias G. and Giménez, Cecilia. "Ecce Homo." (1930 and 2012 respectively).
By far one of my personal favorites. Not the painting, no. Rather what came about from a tragic 'restoration.' According to Carvajal from the New York Times, an elderly woman, attempted a restoration of a "nearly century-old fresco of Jesus crowned with thorns." Her best efforts resulted in completely ruining and ancient piece.
Nevertheless, the notoriety that followed put her and the town on the map, and as Jesus did to Lazarus, it raised the nearly dead economy of the town to it's feet.
