Gospel in Art: At a time when everyone was full of admiration

The Crucifixion, by Andrea di Cione (Orcagna) 1365 © The Metropolitan Museum, New York

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 30 September 2023
Luke 9:43-45

At a time when everyone was full of admiration for all he did, Jesus said to his disciples, 'For your part, you must have these words constantly in your mind: "The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men."' But they did not understand him when he said this; it was hidden from them so that they should not see the meaning of it, and they were afraid to ask him about what he had just said.

Reflection on the painting

Our Gospel reading today starts with the words 'At a time when everyone was full of admiration for all he did…'. Jesus did not allow other people's admiration of him to go to his head. In fact when he realised that people were admiring him, he wanted to counter that by talking of himself in a way that would not have endeared him to many. 'The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men'. Jesus was foretelling his passion and ultimately his death. No one would admire him when he hung from a Roman cross! There, he was being mocked and scorned… not admired!

…yet one person would have still been full of admiration in that painful, dark moment: his Father! Not because he wanted his Son to suffer, but because Jesus on the cross was revealing to the full God's love for the world.

Today's painting is therefore a crucifixion scene. Our altarpiece from circa 1365 was probably painted for Santa Maria degli Angeli, the Camaldolese church of Florence, perhaps for their chapel dedicated to Ognissanti (All Saints). It shows a highly emotional representation of Christ's suffering on the cross, quite avant-garde for its time. The cross extends the full height of the composition. At the base and to the left, the fainting Virgin Mary is supported by one of the Holy Women and St John, while Mary Magdalen grieves, clutching the bloodstained cross. To the right of the cross are various bearded men who introduce the viewer to the tragic scene. Angels hover around the Saviour on the cross, either lamenting Christ's death or collecting his precious blood. The six larger angels framed separately at the sides originate from a different altarpiece and were added to the Crucifixion by a nineteenth-century collector.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-9-43-45-2023/