Thank you for this post. I love the devotion, but I wonder why, why, why, do catholic artists continually depict Christ’s body as a teenage girl? It’s so inoffensive. It’s so delicate. It’s so safe. And, frankly I’m tired of these depictions. Jesus Christ was crucified naked, bloody and beaten, nailed to a crude cross in public at a crossroad, during a major holiday for all to see - but, where are the artists? Outside of Caravaggio, He is never depicted as having a real body - and why, why, why to add insult to injury, is He always wearing a diaper?
That is a good question. Yes, there are certainly some crucifixes where Christ looks effeminate, but there are good reasons why artists have not always depicted extremely realistic depictions of the Crucifixion.
However, there are plenty of examples of crucifixes that do dwell on the suffering, such as Grunewald’s Isenheim altarpiece. Crucifixes in Hispanic churches also often do this.
You may be interested in this piece I wrote on the history of the Crucifixion in art. Of course, it is in no way exhaustive, but I do address some the questions you ask here.
The image with Mary leaning against his breast I had seen before and lived. The image of the crucifixion with the candles and procession is new to me and very lovely. Thank you so much for all the information about Denis.
Kinda want to take this into Eucharistic Adoration for meditation...is that so wrong?
Thank you for this post. I love the devotion, but I wonder why, why, why, do catholic artists continually depict Christ’s body as a teenage girl? It’s so inoffensive. It’s so delicate. It’s so safe. And, frankly I’m tired of these depictions. Jesus Christ was crucified naked, bloody and beaten, nailed to a crude cross in public at a crossroad, during a major holiday for all to see - but, where are the artists? Outside of Caravaggio, He is never depicted as having a real body - and why, why, why to add insult to injury, is He always wearing a diaper?
That is a good question. Yes, there are certainly some crucifixes where Christ looks effeminate, but there are good reasons why artists have not always depicted extremely realistic depictions of the Crucifixion.
However, there are plenty of examples of crucifixes that do dwell on the suffering, such as Grunewald’s Isenheim altarpiece. Crucifixes in Hispanic churches also often do this.
You may be interested in this piece I wrote on the history of the Crucifixion in art. Of course, it is in no way exhaustive, but I do address some the questions you ask here.
https://substack.com/@ameliasimsmckee/p-161600128
The image with Mary leaning against his breast I had seen before and lived. The image of the crucifixion with the candles and procession is new to me and very lovely. Thank you so much for all the information about Denis.
Thank you Melanie. I love that one too. It is so tender. His annunciation paintings are quite lovely too.
Thanks, I'd never heard of this painter before and these paintings are both lovely and intriguing. And thanks for the quote!
I love Maurice Denis and wrote about his many depictions of the Annunciation here:
https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/03/a-modern-french-painter-in-love-with.html
Also of interest:
https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2024/06/our-lords-request-for-institution-of.html
Thank you for the links. NLM is such a wonderful website. I only started reading it recently so I hadn’t seen these articles.
I love Maurice Denis’ annunciation paintings but hadn’t seen many of these.
It is quite astonishing and sad what is left out of the NO on this feast.