Depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ

General Reflections on the Marrows Text 

The article accredits Migrisly’s depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as the true reflection of the passion of Christ. On the contrary, the author further postulates that familiar images such as the Grunewald’s crucifixion have done little in portraying the true suffering of Christ . Therefore, many quarters associate the art showing the passion of Christ as a believable account of the suffering of Jesus Christ. It is also imperative to note that Marrow, James H. "Inventing the Passion in the Late Middle Ages." The Passion Story: From Visual Representation to Social Drama (2008): 23-52 believes that in Western Europe, the passion of Christ was always focused on the divinity as opposed to the humanity of Christ. Also, significant to appreciate is that the hallmark of the passion was a victory of his death and not the actual sufferings. From Marrow's text, it is critical to understand that the representation of the crucifixion is as a result of imaginative fabrications because none of them corresponds to the brief accounts stated in the bible. Theologians, artists, and believers have also been instrumental in contributing to the form and meaning of the passion story. As time has passed, it is critical to appreciate that certain actions depicted in the passion of Christ have also evolved. However, one aspect that I would want to know concerning the depiction of the passion of Christ is how the theologians and artists decided to depict specific actions that are not explicitly outlined in the Gospel . Maybe it could have been as a result of a thorough research work by theologians and a further analysis of the Bible 

Marrows thesis asserts that the portrayal of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ reflects on the actual events that occurred during the passion of Christ . These portrayals include his journey to Calvary, carrying of the cross, association and interaction with the people and authority, and also his nailing on the cross. One of the images on page 25 of Marrow’s text depicts the passion of Christ at the point where Jesus carries his cross and is accompanied by a crowd where one individual seems to be helping him in doing so. The individual is most probably Simon of Cyrene who appears in three out of the four gospels. In his assessment, Marrow says that certain images, especially those from the Grunewald’s crucifixion have had little impact on portraying the real events as had happened during the passion of Christ. The image shown on page 25 is a typical example of those that offer little resemblance of the actual events as shown by the unusually small size of the cross, lesser crowd, and the person who seems to be assisting Christ in carrying the cross. 

Background Investigation of the Artists 

Marcia Kupfer bases her passion story on the tenets of Christianity and the concept of salvation. Kupfer, Marcia Ann. The passion story: From visual representation to social drama . Penn State Press, 2008 (1-19) asserts that God had noted that Jesus assumed the immortal body through God's power and therefore had to endure suffering for humanity to be saved. Kupfer relates the passion of Christ to the original sin committed by Adam and Eve after the creation of humankind. The question that has always been on the mind of many scholars and historians is the extent to which the suffering or passion of Christ went. Therefore, Kupfer agrees with Marrow that the available texts, images, emotions, and ideas can give a candid clue of the historical inquiry of the passion of Christ. According to Kupfer, there have been various complex dynamic processes that depict the portrayal of the passion of Christ in arts, theatre, film, and literature among others. Kupfer agrees with marrow when she asserts that the artistic representation of the passion of Christ is vital because it forms the basis of belief and understanding of the death of Jesus Christ. 1 

Marrow, in his text, was cognizant of the fact that the portrayal of the passion of Christ was a matter that changed from time to time, with others succeeding in giving the correct depiction, while others fail. Kupfer, in her acknowledgment of religious plurality, attempts to explain why passion stories have always had notable differences. 2 She exemplifies this using the Gibson’s ‘’Passion of Christ’’ which turned out to be a controversial portrayal that sparked debate in the media and among the clergy and the scholars. 

Matthias Grunewald 

Grunewald is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest artists of the German Renaissance. His religious drawings and paintings have a visionary expressiveness characterized by agitated line and intense coloring. He depicts the suffering of Christ by presenting a crucified body that has gruesome injuries that resemble the plague victims of that time. The artist presents agony and the emaciated body of Christ that was as a result of the pain of nails that were driven into his feet and hands. However, Marrow assert that however well Grunewald depicts the passion of Christ on the cross, it does not take a holistic approach in giving the entire account of what transpired in the buildup to the ordeal. 

Bibliography 

Kupfer, Marcia Ann. The passion story: From visual representation to social drama . Penn State Press, 2008 (1-19) 

Marrow, James H. "Inventing the Passion in the Late Middle Ages." The Passion Story: From Visual Representation to Social Drama (2008): 23-52. 

1 Marrow, James H. "Inventing the Passion in the Late Middle Ages." The Passion Story: From Visual Representation to Social Drama (2008): 23-52. 

2 Kupfer, Marcia Ann. The passion story: From visual representation to social drama . Penn State Press, 2008 (1-19).