CHAPTER 04 / 20
The Passion: cross and compassion
From the final meal to the tomb, images that engage the body and collective memory.
Around 30 CE · Passion narratives
The Last Supper
El Greco
1568 · painting date
01
Separate events from interpretation
Jesus’ crucifixion under the Roman authority of Pontius Pilate belongs to the central historical questions studied by scholars of Christian origins. Gospel accounts build religious meanings, scenes and words around his death; careful reading recognises differences between the texts.
The Passion has also been used in anti-Jewish imagery and discourse. Retelling it must never assign collective responsibility to Jews, past or present. Christian history includes devotional reception of these paintings and critical examination of harmful uses.
The Last Supper
El Greco
1568 · painting date
Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna
The Descent from the Cross
Rogier van der Weyden
c. 1440 · painting date
Museo del Prado
02
Four moments and different ways of seeing
The Last Supper gathers figures around a table and can evoke the final meal, giving, betrayal and Christian interpretations of the Eucharist. Rogier van der Weyden’s Descent from the Cross makes supporting bodies a structure of compassion. Caravaggio’s Entombment brings the movement towards the stone startlingly close.
Rubens’ Elevation of the Cross instead organises collective, ascending energy. Comparison reveals decisions about pain, care, sacrifice and movement. Each painting’s date locates an interpretation made long after the events represented.
The Entombment of Christ
Caravaggio
1602–1603 · painting date
Pinacoteca Vaticana
The Elevation of the Cross
Peter Paul Rubens
1610–1611 · painting date
Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal
03
An image does not prescribe one response
Catholic and Orthodox traditions give Passion images an important place within practices that are not identical. Protestant communities also differ greatly in their approaches to crosses, crucifixes and images in worship. A simple division between Christians with images and Christians without them would be inaccurate.
Some scenes can be distressing. The journey makes it possible to study composition and meaning without making the spectacle of suffering compulsory. Museum entries and reproduction pages have separate links. Choosing an artwork for an interior remains a personal decision, whether spiritual, historical or aesthetic.
RESEARCH & FURTHER READING
Sources for this chapter
Museum links accompanying the paintings lead to institutional collection information. Display, loans and access can change; consult the museum before visiting.