Hi everyone! I hope everyone is doing okay during this crazy time we are living in…
This week I was hoping to talk about some artworks that deal with the subject of Palm Sunday, since Palm Sunday is this upcoming Sunday. There are three artworks in particular that I wanted to discuss today.
Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter. It was when Christ and his disciples entered Jerusalem, and Christ was greeted by people waving palms at him. Christ rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, which showed his humble nature (since men of status would often arrive on a horse). This kingly praise that Christ received would soon end when Christ was beaten, humiliated, and crucified.
The first two artworks to discuss are Giotto’s and Pietro Lorenzetti’s frescoes of The Entry into Jerusalem.
I grouped these two paintings together because they are extremely similar in composition. For instance, they both include Christ about to enter into Jerusalem on a donkey. Christ has a blessing gesture, as he blesses the group of people in front of him. The group of people are lined up, since we can see that there are many more coming out to see Christ.
There are two men in the background who are climbing trees and grabbing palms to give to the crowd. In addition to this, there is one person in front of Christ who is placing his cloak on the floor as a sign of respect for and the kingly status of Christ.
What is amazing about both these frescoes is that Christ seems happy and proud to be there. He has a straight posture, even though that would be difficult to do sitting side ways on a donkey, which also signify he’s divinity and status.
In addition to this, another artwork that deals with this subject matter is Anthony van Dyck’s Entry of Christ into Jerusalem created in 1617.
Unlike the frescoes, this painting is extremely dramatic in design and the composition is almost completely consumed. Here, we see Christ on his way into Jerusalem. One of his disciples points to the crowd and looks at Christ, almost as though to inform Christ that these people are waiting for him.
Behind Christ we see a man slouching and carrying a branch of palm. We also see a person, in the left middle ground, placing down his cloak in front of Christ and the donkey. Additionally, similar to the frescoes, Christ has a dignified pose on the donkey, and he is more than happy to bless the crowds in front of him.
In all, these three artworks deal with an important subject matter. Christ was praised on Palm Sunday, and a few days later, he was crucified.
Stay safe, everyone!
Feature Image from Wikipedia| Giotto’s fresco from artway.eu| Lorenzetti’s fresco from Wikipedia| Van Dyck’s painting from Wikipedia