Matthew 28
The Resurrection of Jesus in Biblical Art
Resurrection art often tries to hold together victory, mystery, and awe.
Bible and Art Context
Piero della Francesca presents Christ standing above the tomb with unusual calm and authority. The sleeping guards below heighten the contrast between ordinary human blindness and the decisive act of God.
Public domain
The Resurrection
Piero della Francesca, circa 1463, Fresco
The upright Christ and sleeping guards create a powerful contrast between divine victory and human unawareness.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
CC0
The Resurrection
Perugino, late 15th century, Tempera on wood
Perugino gives the Resurrection a calm, balanced dignity, setting the risen Christ above the sleeping guards as victory over death.
Source: The Met Open Access
CC0
Resurrection of Christ
Albrecht Altdorfer, 1512, Woodcut
Altdorfer's woodcut shows how printed devotional images carried the Easter scene beyond large altarpieces into readers' hands.
Source: The Met Open AccessQuestions about Resurrection in Art
Where is the Resurrection in the Bible?
The Resurrection is recorded in all four Gospels. This page links to Matthew 28.
Why did artists paint sleeping guards?
Sleeping guards emphasize the contrast between human failure to perceive and the reality of Christ's victory.
Related biblical art
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