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Saint John

Decent Essays

“CHRIST OF SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS”
“Christ of Saint John of the Cross” is a painting that was created by Salvadore Dali in the year of 1951. “This painting clearly represents the crucifixion of Jesus, with him on the cross in a dark sky, above water that has a fisherman and his boat present. Jesus’ head is fallen, usually this is a sign of powerlessness, through Jesus being above everyone it shows that although he is not alive he is still superior and shows a large amount of power through the spirit of God. This painting of Jesus’ crucifixion marginally differs from any other version, there is no blood showing his wounds and no nails, Jesus hangs peacefully above the world. The purpose of Dali leaving these important elements of the crucifixion …show more content…

Jesus creates a triangle shape from hand to hand down to his feet, a triangle represents trinity, the three superior persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The triangle is pointing towards earth showing that God had sent him to Earth as a gift to mankind. Through the bird's eye view it symbolises the way in which God would have viewed Jesus’ crucifixion. Dali shows two different angles in this painting, as viewers of this painting we are able to recognise the power of God, there is a large void between the body of water below and God, yet God rules above us.These two perspectives are able to illustrate the difference in power and significant impact Jesus was able to have on earth. The main subject in this picture is Jesus on the Cross, whilst the body of water is at eye level, this therefore engages …show more content…

The painting depicts the scene prior to Jesus’ crucifixion, there are four men present, three of the men are surrounding Jesus, who is the centre of the piece. Two of them men, dressed in rags, are forcing the crown of thorns on to Jesus’ head, one of the men is sitting in front of Jesus observing the damage occurring. The man watching appears to have authority and control over the event unfolding. Throughout this painting there is a clear theme of darkness and torment, the man controlling the situation is in total darkness, symbolising the sinner act that he is committing. Jesus, central in the painting, has a glowing ora bouncing off his skin, the light in this painting is a reminder that God is the light within us all and although Jesus endures torture and suffering the outcome will prevail peace. Spirituality is a key element within this painting, Jesus must withstand anguish to be the saviour. According to the Gospel of John 19:2, “the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him”, this passage from the bible is a representation of the ritual dimension, whilst the symbol of the crown of thorns illustrates the material dimension. Additionally, the torture and suffering that is displayed in this artwork helps society to develop an understanding of not only the physical torture but the adversity Jesus encountered. In today's

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