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Biblical Art & Imagery
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. The various works of art of Christ is so expansive, that one would have a most difficult time choosing their favorite. This page will feature just some of mine that I've saved that portray His earthly ministry that lasted just 33 years.
"The Head of Christ" by Warner Sallman, 1940. Sallman was an American painter from Chicago, IL. He painted this piece in 1940 and it is likely the most recognized version of Christ in modern times. Over 500 million copies have been sold. I'm sure it hangs in the homes of millions of believers. It is a completely mesmerizing piece of art, which is probably why it has been copied over half a billion times by the end of the twentieth century.
Sallman is also responsible for three other iconic depictions of Christ that he created from 1942 to 1950; "Christ At Heart's Door", "Christ in Gethsemane", and "The Lord is My Shepherd", all shown below.
"Christ At Heart's Door" by Warren Sallman
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."
-Matthew 7:7-8
"The Lord is My Shepherd" by Warren Sallman
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths
of righteousness for His name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over. Surely goodness
and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
-Psalm 23
"Christ in Gethsemane" by Warren Sallman
"Then Jesus went with the disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “Stay here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons with him. He was beginning to feel deep anguish. Then he said to them, “My anguish is so great that I feel as if I’m dying. Wait here, and stay awake with me.” After walking a little farther, he quickly bowed with his face to the ground and prayed, “Father, if it’s possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. But let your will be done rather than mine.”
-Matthew 26:36-39
No favorites list would be complete without "The Last Supper", painted as a mural by Leonardo da Vinci in 1497. It covers an end wall of the dining hall at the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. The painting portrays the perceived reaction of the artist of each apostle when Jesus said one of them would betray him. All twelve apostles have different reactions to the news, with various degrees of anger and shock.
I found this information from Wikipedia, which I found to be most interesting - the apostles are identified, from left to right, as:
*Bartholomew, James (son of Alphaeus), and Andrew form a group of three; all are surprised.
*Judas Iscariot, Peter, and John form another group of three. Judas is clutching a small bag, perhaps signifying the silver given to him as payment to betray Jesus, or perhaps a reference to his role as a treasurer. He is also tipping over the salt cellar, which may be related to the near-Eastern expression to "betray the salt" meaning to betray one's master. He is the only person to have his elbow on the table and his head is also vertically the lowest of anyone in the painting. Peter wears an expression of anger and appears to be holding a knife, foreshadowing his violent reaction in Gethsemane during the arrest of Jesus. Peter is leaning towards John and touching him on the shoulder, in reference to John's Gospel where he signals the "beloved disciple" to ask Jesus who is to betray him. The youngest apostle, John, appears to swoon and lean towards Peter. *Jesus is in the center
*Thomas, James the Greater, and Philip are the next group of three. Thomas is clearly upset; the raised index finger foreshadows his incredulity of the Resurrection. James the Greater looks stunned, with his arms in the air. Meanwhile, Philip appears to be requesting some explanation.
*Matthew, Jude Thaddeus, and Simon the Zealot are the final group of three. Both Thaddeus and Matthew are turned toward Simon, perhaps to find out if he has any answer to their initial questions.
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." -Matthew 26:26-28
I have no information on this beautiful image of Mary with Child and therefore I cannot give any attribution. It's an image I've had saved in a computer folder for at least twenty years. Although I love most of the works of the High Renaissance period that feature Mary with Child, I favor this image over any others that can be found.
The image may not accurately portray scripture as the Bible never mentions angels encamped around Christ at the Nativity. However, the image in theory does portray the fact that angels did indeed rejoice at His birth as is cited in Luke 2 below.
"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" -Luke 2:8-14
The famous painting of "Christ Crucified" was done by Spanish artist Diego Velazquez in 1632 and is currently displayed at the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
Accounts of Christ's crucifixion can be read in the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Below are just a few short scriptures from each book.
"Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" -Matthew 27:38-40
"They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. -Mark 15:22-24
"When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." -Luke 23:33-34
"Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." -John 19:28-30
Again, I have no information on this image that depicts Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem or for the image depicting Christ's Ascension Into Heaven, therefore I cannot give any attribution. They're images I've had saved in a computer folder for several years. As a believer, both images are very important to me due to the scripture that surrounds them both.
"And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."
-Matthew 21:9-11
Carl Bloch, a Danish painter, created the piece above, "Sermon on the Mount" and the piece to the right, "Resurrection". I really like his realism style and fine attention to detail. These two pieces were part of a larger ensemble that he was commissioned to do between 1865-1879 for the King's Chapel at Frederiksborg Palace in Denmark. All of them are equally stunning.
"Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." -Matthew 5:1-12
"Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." -Acts 1:6-12
"Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him! Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead." -John 20:1-9