This was a slightly disconcerting find tonight:
Attributed to Raphael, here’s Jesus coming out of his cage and he’s been feeling ju… er, you know what I mean. I’m not surprised by the depiction of the Son of Man and his fellows as medieval white Europeans, but that thing Jesus is holding is a St George’s Cross. Is Raphael trying to imply that Jesus was English? But at least he woke up the people loitering around his tomb…
…unlike Piero della Francesca’s pack of layabouts. Jesus doesn’t look entirely bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to me either, mind you. And he’s packing the England flag again. I jest somewhat when I call it that, but I do see it occurring in quite a few paintings of him getting out bed that fateful Sunday (I’m only researching it now cos I was looking for something else entirely and somehow happened on the first painting), I see similar things by Botticelli, Bellini, a few others, and I’m just wondering what it’s about… I did find one article suggesting it’s about symbolising Christ’s overcoming of death, but that article also posts some pictures where he’s not carrying a banner at all…
…or, in El Greco’s version, a strategically flapping all-white one (with, apparently, a red cape and a weird square halo)…
…or, in Rubens’ version, an all-red one.
Then there’s this, by Juan Bautista Maino/Mayno, in which Jesus appears to be collecting for the Red Cross or something. I’m particularly fascinated by this because of the bloke who’s about to draw his sword on Jesus: “Didn’t you die last Friday? All right, you pasty undead weirdo, let’s get you back in there permanently…”
To end this post, my own favourite resurrection image:
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