Faces of Christ
There are no accurate descriptions of what Jesus may have looked like. For centuries, Christians and artists all over the world have used their imaginations to carve or draw, paint or sculpt, weave or build what they saw in their hearts. Often Jesus is portrayed in our own image, seen as one of us, in our community.
The image of Christ has been used as a call to justice, a source of hope, and a unity that binds us together. In this collection, the motivations of the artist may – or may not – be revealed through their work. We may simply be able to compare interpretations of themes in Christ’s life.
Anglicans are a marvelously diverse faith community blessed with many “faces of Christ.” While this exhibit is small and doesn’t begin to tap all the imagery available, it is nonetheless an invitation to look at Christ through artists’ eyes. It also invites us to seek the Risen Christ and know the presence of that divine relationship in our own lives.
Marc Chagall – Stained Glass Window
Chagall, a Russian Jew by birth, designed this window for All Saints, Tudeley in Kent (www.tudeley.org/chagall.html).
Jane Tancredi – The Baptism
Tancredi is a contemporary icon writer who worships at All Saints Episcopal Church in Omaha, Nebraska.
Used with permission of the artist.
John Granville Gregory – Still Doubting
Gregory emulates the style of Caravaggio, using contemporary and realistic figures to show the story of Thomas encountering the Risen Christ.
Pietro della Vedova, Madonna and Child
This painting (ca. 1885) is from Bethesda-by-the-Sea, Palm Beach, Florida.
Chinese Artist – Christ Entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday
This painting was first published in 1938, after an exhibition of Christian art at the University of Fu-Jên, Beijing.
Walter Hancock, Majestus
Designed by Hancock for the Washington National Cathedral and carved by Roger Morigi from fifteen tons of Texas limestone.
Ralph Adams Cram – The Risen Christ in Glory
Designed for Saint James at Madison Avenue and 71st Street in New York.
Haitian Artists – Jesus Drives Away the Money Changers
Haitian artists painted this detail from the reredos at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Port-au-Prince.
Paula Wallace – Christ Falls
The vantage point in this monotype is that of a person in the crowd or a Roman soldier standing above Christ as he falls.
Robert Lentz – The Lion of Judah: The Masai Jesus
The Masai Christ of Africa is portrayed within traditional Greek symbols representing time, eternity, and the four evangelists.
Dorothy Tuma – Sacred Heart.
Tuma takes photographs around the country and lives in Omaha, Nebraska.
Edilberto Merida – Peruvian Crucifix
This wood and clay crucifix invites people who suffer today to identify with Christ’s agony on the cross.