Renaissance Paintings of Christ on the Cross

The advantage of studying many paintings on the same subject is the ability to detect subtle details between time periods and artists; this is the case with Renaissance paintings of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

Triumphant Christ Dominates Late 12th Century

Christus Triumphans, or Triumphant Christ, is a style characteristic of Florentine crucifixes from the late 1100s. Christ hangs solidly on his cross, eyes open. In 1204, the Fourth Crusade brought back a horde of new Byzantine art. In a short time, a new Byzantine-Italian style began appearing above Italian church altars.

Italo–Byzantine “Suffering Christ” Style of Early 13th Century

Between 1210 and about 1240, crucifixes began to appear invariably as Christus Patiens, or Suffering Christ. The mood of these paintings was much more somber and Christ’s body began to sway to the left on the cross – all Byzantine styles.

Byzantine Style Merges with Franciscan “Alternate Christ” in Mid 13th Century

Some art historians argue that the Byzantine influence pales in comparison to the formation of the Franciscan Order of Christianity for Italian art during this period. The Franciscans valued humanity and nature much more than previous religious thinkersn. They also saw their founder, St. Francis, as an alter Christus or Alternate Christ.

Shift from Christ’s Divinity to Christ Humanity with “Imitation Christ”

There is a noticeable shift in the 13th century in crucifix evolution toward Christ’s humanity, and away from his divinity. The aprons of the crucifixes began to show more scenes depicting Christ’s suffering than before, and at the same time paintings of St. Francis appear with scenes of his life depicting similar events. This style is known as imitatio cruces, or Imitation of Christ.

Shift of Christ-Centered to Human Emotion-Centered

The Italo-Byzantine style is formed further by Coppo di Marcovaldo. His painting includes the Byzantine technique of segmenting the torso and the thick lines of the loincloth’s drapery. It is Christus Patiens and Jesus’ hips sway to the left. The aprons depict scenes of Jesus’ life centering on the immediacy of family tragedy and his face appears more contorted and defeated than previous crucifixes. This painting goes beyond the Franciscan Order’s credo on humanity and naturalism; it suggests a changing style geared toward emotional and humanism in general.

Byzantine Influences Eliminated by 15th Century

Renaissance artisan Giotto created crucifixes in which nearly all Byzantine influence are eliminated. Many of his crucifixes look much more realistic than any previous depictions.

In conclusion, much detail and difference can be determined from several seemingly similar paintings during this period. The crucifixes not only depict the stories of Christ’s tragic end, but also serve to tell a tale of a changing society.

Further Reading

Crucifixes certainly weren't the only subjects painted in the Renaissance. Check out Raphael's School of Athens and Verroccio and Da Vinci's Baptism of Christ.

Sources

• Derbes, Anne, Picturing the Passion in Late Medieval Italy: Narrative Painting,
• Franciscan Ideologies and the Levant. Sixteenth Century Journal Vol. 29, No.1
• Hartt, Frederick., Wilkins, David G. History of Italian Renaissance Art – 6th Edition. © 2007 by Prentice Hall.
• Stubblebine, James H., Byzantine Influence In Thirteenth Century Italian Panel Painting. May 1st, 1965.

Coppo di Marcovaldo's Christus Patiens

Giotto's Renaissance Crucifix

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