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Artistic Depictions of Christ's Life

Religious art capturing significant moments from Christ's life, including nativity, baptism, and crucifixion, through wood and ivory carvings.

Detail of the Tomb of the Saintly Imperial Couple, Bamberg Cathedral, Bamberg, Germany (Large format sizes available)
Detail of the Tomb of the Saintly Imperial Couple, Bamberg Cathedral, Bamberg, Germany (Large format sizes available)
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Andrea Briosco, called Riccio, The Entombment The EntombmentSaint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) healing the lepers. Italian Catholic friar, deacon and preacher, Italy. Old XIX century engraved illustration from La Ilustracion Española y Americana 1894Ivory Plaque with Enthroned Mother of God ("The Stroganoff Ivory"), 950-1025. Byzantium, Constantinople, Byzantine period. Ivory; overall: 25.3 x 17.2 x 1.8 cm (9 15/16 x 6 3/4 x 11/16 in.). The Mother of God is seated on a lavishly carved, high-backed throne. Two angels hover above, drawing attention to the Christ child poised in her lap. Representations of the enthroned Virgin and Child have a long tradition in Byzantine art, stretching back as far as the 6th century. With one hand raised in blessing, the other holding a scroll, Christ is portrayed here as an emotionless and supernatural child, visualizing for the pious beholder the mystery of his incarnation.Parts of Devotion altar with Mary and Christ child between two angels, Anonymous, 1700 - 1750 House altar with Mary and Christ child between two angels. The Christ child is on a high pedestal. Above Mary and the child, God is flanked by two angels who hold a canopy above him. The wood is gilded in various places. Mechelen walnut (hardwood). gilding (material) gilding House altar with Mary and Christ child between two angels. The Christ child is on a high pedestal. Above Mary and the child, God is flanked by two angels who hold a canopy above him. The wood is gilded in various places. Mechelen walnut (hardwood). gilding (material) gildingCloister in Convent Zwettl, Waldviertel Region, Lower Austria, Austria, EuropeTomb of Jesus on Easter Morning, Wood Panel, Byzantine casket, 5th century. Artist: Unknown.Triptychon mit Szenen aus dem Leben und Tod der Jungfrau Maria triptych with scenes of the life and death of the Virgin Mary, Paris, 12th century, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon, Portugal Copyright: xZoonar.com/Tolox 22897005SILOE , GIL DE. ESCULTOR FLAMENCO. SIGLO XV. " NACIMIENTO DE LA VIRGEN ". DETALLE DEL ARBOL DE JOSE. CAPILLA DE SANTA ANA. CATEDRAL DE BURGOS VIRGEN MARIA. JESUCRISTO. SAN JOSE.Church of the House of Peter in Capernaum, IsraelGothic medieval art in the National Art Museum of Catalonia,Barcelona,Spain.anonymous catalan, funerary ceremony (second half of the XV century).Virgin Mourning the Dead Christ. Cesare Targone (Italian, active 1575 - 1590)Plaque with the Descent from the Cross ca. 1320-40 French The ivory figures are mounted on a sheet of whalebone. This plaque is part of a series of Passion carvings that are now dispersed among Antwerp, Oslo, Paris, London, and New York. The entire sequence was probably once set in an architectural frame, forming an altar frontal. Listen to experts illuminate this artwork's story Listen Play or pause #3135. Plaque with the Descent from the Cross Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. We are working to make it available as soon as possible.. Plaque with the Descent from the Cross 464156Silversmith's art, Italy, 15th century. Nicola Gallucci da Guardiagrele (1385-1462), processional cross of Saint Maximus, 1434, in silver, enamel and copper. Height 90 cm. Front side. Detail: the Deposition.Christ in the House of Mary and Martha. The Last Supper. The Supper at Emmaus. Ulm, c.1520. Lime wood with old polychromy. These three groups depict scenes from the life of Christ in which he appears at a meal table. They would originally have formed part of the predella (lower zone) of a large carved altar. The three table scenes refer to the celebration of Mass, when bread and wine are presented at the altar as the body and blood of Christ.Lazio Roma Rome Episcopal Complex (S. Giovanni in Laterano, Baptistery, Cathedral, Cloister)22. Hutzel, Max 1960-1990 Exterior views of 5th c. baptistery, restored in the 17th c. Interior views of baptismal urn (16th c.), carved walls, ceiling and wall painting; of mosaics and bronze doors in Cappella del Battista; of altar and mosaics in Cappella di S. Venanzio; of mosaic and statue in Cappella di S. Giovanni Evangelista. Architecture, architectural sculpture, sculpture, sculptural fragments, fresco painting, painting, coffering, tiling, stucco. Views 756-886 are of the cathedral. Medieval: Architecture, architectural sculpture, sculptural fragments, architectural fragments, tombstones, mosaics, sculpture, fresco painting, sculptural relief. Object Notes: Hutzel includes guidebook in German on the site. prints matched to negs General Notes: Views 756 thru 886 are of the Baptistery. German-born photographer and scholar Max Hutzel (1911-1988) photographed in Italy from the early 1960s uDetail on the birth facade of the Sagrada Familia, Church of the Atonement of the Holy Family, by Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, EuropeEgyptian Coptic relief showing the Last Supper. 20th century.interior Stiftskirche, historic altar, monastery church, Wunstorf, region Hannover, Lower Saxony, northern GermanyPortable altar. This exquisite portable altar was intended for private devotion. The owner could use it for personal meditation either at home or when travelling. Open, the altar presented a poignant image of Christ as the Man of Sorrows’ standing in his tomb and pointing explicitly at the wounds caused by his crucifixion. This helped the believer to identify with Christ’s suffering.CAPILLA DE SAN HERMENEGILDO - DETALLE DEL SEPULCRO DEL CARDENAL CERVANTES - 1453. Author: MERCADANTE DE BRETAÑA LORENZO. Location: CATEDRAL-INTERIOR. Sevilla. Seville. SPAIN. CARDENAL CERVANTES. CERVANTES JUAN DE.Pietà second quarter 16th century Spanish The representation of the mourning Virgin holding her son's crucified body in her lap was a popular devotional image throughout the Catholic world, echoing the even more beloved depiction of the Madonna and Child in more joyful times. Often the Virgin is simply shown in sorrowful contemplation so as to emphasize a maternal sensibility not described in the Gospels but rather derived from mystical writings disseminated among convents.In this composition, Mary's sorrowful gesture relates the theme to the more elaborate portrayal of the Lamentation at the foot of the cross. So, too, does the corpselike rigidity of Christ's torso, a pose typical of the late fifteenth century. The use of alabaster was particularly characteristic of architectural and figural sculpture in Catalonia and Aragon, but this group has not yet been conclusively linked to the work of any artist of the region.. Pietà. Spanish. second quarter 16th century. Alabaster, with tracesMourners and Soldiers from a Crucifixion late 15th century South Netherlandish. Mourners and Soldiers from a Crucifixion 467622Canada, Quebec, Montreal. Interior of Notre Dame Basilica. Recently built Sacre-Coeur Chapel, c.1982, bronze altarpiece. IMAGE RESTRICTED: Not available to US land tour operators.Carving detail at the Saint Isaac's Cathedral, St. Petersburg, RussiaSEPULCRO DEL OBISPO ALONSO DE MADRIGAL "EL TOSTADO" (1404/1455) - 1518 - ALABASTRO - RENACIMIENTO ESPAÑOL. Author: VASCO DE LA ZARZA (1499-1524). Location: CATEDRAL-INTERIOR. AVILA. SPAIN.Italian 16th Century, The Holy Family, 16th century The Holy FamilyItaly, Emilia Romagna, Bologna, Church of Santa Maria della Vita, Lamentation over Dead Christ, polychrome terracotta figures, by Niccolo dell'ArcaThe Penitent St. Peter; Christoph Daniel Schenck, German, 1633 - 1691; 1685; Limewood; Object: 36.6 x 26.2 cm (14 7/16 x 10 5/16 in.)Calvary of Erentxun, Flemish anonymous, 15th century, carved wood, San Andres de Erentxun, Vitoria-Gasteiz Museum of Sacred Art, María Inmaculada Cathedral, Álava, Spain.CAMARA SANTA - ARCA SANTA DE LA CATEDRAL DE OVIEDO - SIGLO XI. Location: CATEDRAL DE SAN SALVADOR-INTERIOR. Oviedo. ASTURIAS. SPAIN.13th Stations of the Cross, Jesus' body is removed from the crossApostles, Abbey of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, 12th century.Byzantine ivory panel showing the tomb of Jesus on Easter morning, 5th century. Artist: UnknownVirgin and Child with Two Angels About 1470-80 Marble Bartolomeo Bellano Italian padua; 1437-1496/7TABLA DE LA VISITACION DEL RETABLO DE STA ANA. Location: MUSEO DIOCESANO. Valladolid. SPANIEN. VIRGIN MARY. SANTA ANA MADRE DE LA VIRGEN MARIA.Denmark, Zealand, Copenhagen, National Museum, 14th century Christian altar detailPortable altar, anonymous, c. 1500 - c. 1525 In a closed state, the altar is rounded from above, opened a niche and a half -niche in every wing. In the niche, the half figure of Christ with thorn crown and loincloth comes above the edge of the tomb. There is a line of line on this, which partially covers the niches in the front of the tomb. Christ points with the right hand on the wound in his side, while he lifts the left hand to show the nail wound. On the left on the tomb three ointment pots (Albarelli), the three dice are on the right. In the background the cross, in which another nail sticks and on which the table with i.n.r.i.; Furthermore, a separate lance and part of the reed stem with sponge. In each of the half -niches an angel, standing on a front, profiled pedestal, placed on a rising bottom; These pedestals have a niche on each side and above it a flat cover with a truncated angle. The left angel probably holds a fragment of the stem of a lily, the right probably a part ofThe Dormition of the Virgin. (Giovanni Battista Maini; Cassano Magnano 1690-I752 Rome; 1748 Burnt clay)The Last Supper, anonymous, c. 1520 The table is placed on a rising shelf floor, around which a U-shaped sofa with a slut-shaped legs is placed. Behind the table is Christ in the midst of the accompanying apostles between John, who rests with his head to Christ's chest, and Peter, who has been twisted half to him and supports the left arm on the table. Behind this group are five, probably standing, apostles. Christ handles Judas with one hand and has the left in front of him on the table. On the left are two apostles in conversation: the front of them is on the couch, on which Judas and on the right two other apostles are also seated. Judas, whose face coarser traits then shows that of the other figures, raises both hands and has the money pouch next to him on the couch. The apostle at the front right is with folded hands and looks at the bread, the apostle sitting next to him, with convex cheeks, leaves diagonally in front of him. On the table on a bucket a dish with a roast lamb, twoThe Last Supper. These three groups depict scenes from the life of Christ in which he appears at a meal table. They would originally have formed part of the predella (lower zone) of a large carved altar. The three table scenes refer to the celebra-tion of Mass, when bread and wine are presented at the altar as the body and blood of Christ.France, Paris, St-Germain-des Prés, church, interior,Valerio Belli, Christ Brought Before Pontius Pilate Christ Brought Before Pontius PilateTabernacle of the altar saint sacrament by Desiderio da Settignano in the Basilica di San Lorenzo in Florence, Italy Tabernacle of the altar saint sacrament by Desiderio da Settignano in the Basilica di San Lorenzo in Florence, Italy Copyright: xZoonar.com/ZvonimirxAtletix 20324543Brauweiler near Pulheim, St Nicholas Abbey Church, north aisle, St Michael's Altar from 1561, Last JudgementApostle cycle from the end of the 14th century, St., Sankt, SaintDetail of the Cathedral in BerlinDiptych with Scenes from Christ's Passion ca. 1350 French The booklike form of such narrative diptychs as this suggests that they are to be visually "read" for spiritual education. The choice of events or narrative details to illustrate can emphasize certain aspects of the Passion. This example is unique among those displayed here in depicting the suicide of Judas along with the Betrayal scene (bottom left panel). Similarly, the figure of Longinus in the Crucifixion scene (bottom right panel) emphasizes his recognition of Christ's divinity despite his role in Christ's suffering (compare to 17.190.208).. Diptych with Scenes from Christ's Passion 464288Tuscany Grosseto Santa Fiora SS. Fiora e Lucilla, Parish church6. Hutzel, Max 1960-1990 Exterior views show a simple stone facade with a renaissance portal and a Romanesque rose window. Most views focus on the interior decoration by Andrea and Giovanni della Robbia: the dossal in the first altar to the right depicts the penitent St. Jerome, the Coronation of the Virgin, and the Stigmatization of St. Francis; the pulpit depicts the Last Supper, the Resurrection, and the Ascension. Other della Robbia terracottas show the Assumption of the Virgin among angels and the Baptism of Christ. Coverage includes the very Mannerist main altarpiece, an icon of the Virgin and Child (engaged in close eye contact) set in an aedicule, a polychrome statue of St. Anthony Abbot, several crucifixes and a baptismal font. General Notes: SS. Fiora and Lucilla is also called the Pieve (Parish Church). German-born photographer and scholar Max Hutzel (1911-1988) photographed in Italy from the early 1960s until hiSPAIN - Ripollés (district) - Catalonia - GERONA. Sant Joan de les Abadesses, Iglesia de Sant Joan; detalle del retablo medieval "descenso de la cruz" (Ripollès)Worship of kings. Maria is on an increase in profile to the left with the naked child shot, which turns into the kneeling Melchior, who keeps a ciborie. From left to right the standing figure of Caspar, a young man with sword. Balthasar with crown and St. Joseph. Above them a cloud bank, which two legibly bone naked angels, which together hold a spell belt, and are flanked on both sides by a surrounded Cherub. The bottom goes into a slanted cartouche, on which the MONGRAM HVHMiracles of Jesus by Master of the Magdeburg Antependium, Ivory, 962-973, Gothic, 10th century, Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadtcross keystone, representing a monk absolving a novice, monastery of San Cugat del Vallés , Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.Panel with Crucifixion 19th century European (Medieval style). Panel with Crucifixion 468948LLANTO SOBRE CRISTO MUERTO. Author: PEDRO MILLAN (SIGLO XV-SIGLO XVI). Location: MUSEO DE BELLAS ARTES-CONVENTO DE LA MERCED CALZAD. Sevilla. Seville. SPAIN. MARY MAGDALENE. VIRGIN MARY. JESUS MUERTO-CRISTO MUERTO-JESUCRISTO MUERTO.Door to Sienna CathedralThe Crimean War Memorial in St James's, Londondiptico con escenas de la crucifixion de Cristo y la adoracion de los Magos, Paris, siglo XIII, Fundación Calouste Gulbenkian, («Fundaçío Calouste Gulbenkian»), Lisboa, Portugal.Ivory casket panels depicting events around the death of Christ. Dated 5th CenturyThe Entombment of Christ ca. 1420-40 German In this powerful composition, showing three holy men, Saint John, the Virgin Mary, and two holy women, the partially shrouded body of Christ is lowered into the Sepulchre. The sweeping draperies and facial types suggest Netherlandish influence in the middle Rhine region, beginning about 1400.. The Entombment of Christ 463824Ivory panel showing the adoration of the magi, 6th century. Artist: UnknownFrench Gothic ivory folding grade of the 14th century with a virgin and child of French Gothic ivory folding grade of the 14th century with a virgin and child copyright: xzoonar.com/gallóxgusztávx 22641657Christ Appearing to the Apostles. Dated: 15th century. Dimensions: overall: 9.5 x 6.4 cm (3 3/4 x 2 1/2 in.) gross weight: 126 gr. Medium: gilded bronze//Gilding extensively rubbed. Museum: National Gallery of Art, Washington DC. Author: Venetian 15th century.Notre-Dame cathedral, Paris, France. Choir enclosure. Jesus appearing to his disciples.Jesus, the perfectly shown; The suffering of Christ; The copper passion. Rectangular, gold-plated bronze plaque with Jesus, the perfectly shown.Jesus for Pilate; The suffering of Christ; The copper passion. Rectangular, gold-plated bronze plaque with Jesus for Pilate.The imprisonment of Jesus with the Judaskus, Arent van Bolten (attributed to), c. 1600 - c. 1625 Rectangular, gilded bronze plaque with a representation of the capture of Jesus with the Judask. Northern Netherlands bronze (metal) gilding Rectangular, gilded bronze plaque with a representation of the capture of Jesus with the Judask. Northern Netherlands bronze (metal) gildingJUNI, Juan de (1507-1577). Holy Burial of Christ. 1541-1544. Renaissance art. Sculpture on wood. SPAIN. CASTILE AND LEON. Valladolid. National Museum of Sculpture.France, Nouvelle Aquitaine, Dordogne department (24), BourdeillesDETALLE DEL ALTAR DE LA RAZA - ANTIGUA CAPILLA MAYOR DE LA IGLESIA DEL CONVENTO DE SAN TELMO - 1929-1934 - OLEO Y ORO SOBRE LIENZO. Author: SERT JOSE MARIA. Location: MUSEO DE SAN TELMO. DONOSTI-SAN SEBASTIAN. Guipuzcoa. SPAIN.Saint Augustine holding the Sacred Heart. Wood carving. Pulpit. France.st, new market - Capuchin Church - Pietà - Interior view, Bruno Reiffenstein -, photographerBaptistry of Saint John, Gates of Paradise, Isaac with Esau and Jacob, Florence, ItalyChrist Crowned with Thorns early 16th century South Netherlandish. Christ Crowned with Thorns 463889Golden chamber with reliquaries after restoration with historic colour scheme (blue), north wall, St., Sankt, SaintGermany, Dresden, Two closed panels of Triptych with AnnunciationHebrew people, Gates of Paradise, bronze doors of the Baptistry of San Giovanni, Florence, Tuscany, Italy, EuropeConstance, Minster, choir stalls, sculptors Heinrich Yselin and Simon Haider around 1470, stall cheek with scene of the Bethlehem InfanticidePortugal, Fatima, Stations of the Cross inside basilica (Large format sizes available)Nativity, detail from the Altar of Mary, German school, polychrome wood relief, 16th century.Diptych with the Virgin and Child and the Crucifixion German early 15th century Depicted on the left is the Virgin crowned as the Queen of Heaven; the Crucifixion is shown on the right. The sun and moon held by angels above indicate the sorrow of all creation at the death of Christ. Adam appears at the foot of the cross and holds a chalice, the symbol of his new priesthood and redemption through the Crucifixion. The supple, complex drapery and fleshy faces relate to sculpture in Mainz. View more. Diptych with the Virgin and Child and the Crucifixion. German. early 15th century. Ivory with metal mounts. Made in possibly Mainz, Middle Rhine Valley, Germany. IvoriesNotre-Dame cathedral, Paris, France. Choir enclosure. Jesus walking into Jerusalem on Palm sunday.SEPULCRO DE DON MARTIN DE ZURBANO. Location: IGLESIA DE SAN SEBASTIAN SOREASU. Azpeitia. Guipuzcoa. SPAIN. MARTIN ZURBANO O MARTIN VAREA.Cathedral of Bishop Maximianus of Ravenna. 6th c. ITALY. Ravenna. Archbishop's Museum. Early Byzantine art. Furniture.Group of figures, Chinese Tea House, Sanssouci Palace Park, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany, EuropeClose-up of two statues, Cork Vision Centre, Cork, County Cork, IrelandValerio Belli, Jesus Among the Doctors, 1537 or after Jesus Among the DoctorsARQUETA DE SAN MILLAN - ESCENAS DE LA VIDA DEL SANTO - MARFIL - SIGLO XI. Location: MONASTERIO DE YUSO. Rioja. SPAIN.The Way to Calvary, with Saint Veronica Receiving the Veil Imprinted with the Face of Christ ca. 1510 South Netherlandish This group was presumably part of a series of the Stations of the Cross incorporated into an altarpiece.. The Way to Calvary, with Saint Veronica Receiving the Veil Imprinted with the Face of Christ. South Netherlandish. ca. 1510. Walnut, paint and gilding. Made in Brussels, Netherlands. Sculpture-WoodDiptych with the Story of Salvation. This deeply carved diptych depicts four scenes associated with Christian salvation: the Nativity (at lower left), the Adoration of the Magi (at lower right), the Crucifixion (at upper left) and the Last Judgement (at upper right). According to an inscription on the back, in 1781 the diptych belonged to Albergatus Ehlen, the prior of the Carthusian monastery at Trier.Angel Appearing to Seated Shepherd 18th century Southern German. Angel Appearing to Seated Shepherd. Southern German. 18th century. Gouache on paper. PaperDETALLE DE LA HUIDA A EGIPTO - RETABLO MAYOR DE LA CATEDRAL DE SEVILLA CONSTRUIDO ENTRE 1482 Y 1564. Author: ROQUE BALDUQUE (1500-1561). Location: CATEDRAL-INTERIOR. Sevilla. Seville. SPAIN. VIRGIN MARY. SAN JOSE ESPOSO DE LA VIRGEN MARIA.Calvary of Erentxun, Flemish anonymous, 15th century, carved wood, San Andres de Erentxun, Vitoria-Gasteiz Museum of Sacred Art, María Inmaculada Cathedral, Álava, SpainSt. George's Catholic Parish Church, stacked chairs in front of a mural, Oberzell on Reichenau Island, Lake Constance, Constance County, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, EuropeDublin Churches, St. Patricks Cathedral, Interior. On the left wing stands under a gothic, three Lubbed Spitsboog Maria with a flower in the right hand between two standing to her admissive, torch bearing angels. The child on her left arm holds his right arm behind her back. Light rays shoot behind the head of Mary. On the right-wing the crucified Christ between Maria with a wired face and with his hands raised to the cross, and John with a book in the left hand. Above the cross and moon.Basilica of Our Lady of La Vang. Vietnamese priests and bishops with Jesus. Vietnam.Altarpiece of the Virgin of the Star, 1351. Nativity of Jesus. Detail. Gothic. Tortosa Cathedral. Spain.Altar of the Gertrude Brotherhood of Bearers, Lübeck c. 1509, carving: Henning van der Heide, detail of child eating, with hobbyhorse, with drinking vessel, St., Sankt, SaintThe Raising of the Cross with three henchmen. Southern Netherlands, 2nd half of the 17th century. Hardwood. Schnu_tgen Museum. Cologne, Germany.Italy, Trentino Alto Adige, Ortisei, nativity scene made by artist Georg Demetz