Crucifixion and Burial of Christ: icons and paintings. Week of Veneration of the Cross: Icons of the Crucifixion

08.03.2024 cucumbers

Image reproduced from edition: Lazarev V. N. Russian icon painting from its origins to the beginning of the 16th century. M.: Art, 2000.

With. 333¦ 277. Crucifixion.

1500 Dionysius.

The body of Christ is crucified on a tall, thin, black-green cross. Its proportions are elongated and refined, its head is small. The cross is established among the small ledges of the low Golgotha, above a gaping black cave in which the “forehead of Adams” can be discerned. Behind the cross rises the Jerusalem wall; against its background, on both sides of the cross, the upcoming Crucifixion is depicted. On the left, with her palm pressed to her cheek, the Mother of God is supported with both hands by Mary Magdalene, clinging to her. Leaning back, the Mother of God touches her robe with her hand. The outlines of the slender, thin figures of the other two Marys (Cleopas and Jacob) standing behind enhance the expression of grief conveyed by the gestures of the Mother of God. On the right, John is drooping, pressing his hand to his chest. The lines that outline it follow the rhythm of a group of grieving women. The centurion standing behind John Longinus, like the Mother of God, leaned back. Holding a small round shield in front of him, he spread his legs wide and raised his head, wrapped in a white bandage that also covered his neck. The difference in the poses of John and Longinus creates a kind of caesura in the rhythm 1, which owns the figures of the upcoming ones. Above the heads of those present are angels who accompany the personifications of the arriving Church of the New Testament and the departing Old Testament Church - the Synagogue. Above, above the long transverse crosshair, angels mourning him fly from both sides to the drooping head of Christ, shaded by a wide golden halo. The faces and bodies of the Savior are filled with golden ocher, with a light browning over the olive sankir. The colors of the clothes are light, With. 333
With. 334¦ various shades of yellow, lilac, brown and green - combined with scarlet cinnabar in two tones. The background and fields are golden (fragments of the upper field with red edges have been preserved).

The board is linden, the dowels are mortise, later ones, the top one is through. The right margin has been filed away. Pavoloka, gesso, egg tempera. 85 × 52.

Comes from the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the Pavlov-Obnorsky Monastery 2, then it was in the Vologda Museum.

2 See No. 276 - Savior in power, the centerpiece of the Deesis tier of the same iconostasis, which has an inscription on the reverse stating that Dionysius wrote in 1500 “Deesis and feasts and prophets” of this iconostasis. The crucifix was in the festive row.

Received through the State Russian Museum from a foreign exhibition in 1934. With. 334
¦

Lazarev 2000/1

With. 371¦ 124. Dionysius. Crucifixion

1500 85x52. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

From the festive row of the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the Pavlo-Obnorsky Monastery, founded in 1415 by the disciple of Sergius of Radonezh, Pavel Obnorsky (died in 1429). The condition is good. The background and margins were gold. In the background there are marks from the nails of the frame. The gesso has been lost in the lower and right margins. The left field has been sawed off. Since the Trinity Cathedral, where the “Crucifixion” comes from, was built in 1505–1516 by Vasily III, the date (1500) on the back of “The Savior in Power,” which comes from the same cathedral, is in doubt. It remains to be assumed that icons from an older iconostasis were placed in the cathedral. It is very significant for Dionysius to use icons from the early 15th century as examples. [Another icon from the same festive series was recently published - “The Assurance of Thomas”, stored in the Russian Museum, see: Kochetkov I. A. Another work by Dionysius. - In the book: Cultural monuments. New discoveries. 1980. L., 1981, p. 261–267; about this icon see also: Eding B. The image of "Fomino's test" in the Rumyantsev Museum. - “Old Years”, 1916, April–June, p. 125–128]. With. 371
¦

The image of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is central to Christianity, because it symbolizes the Savior’s atonement for the sins of mankind. The image of the Life-Giving Cross, on which the Lord was crucified, has been known since the times of early Christianity. It was repeated in wall paintings, bas-reliefs, sculptures and icons. Moreover, the death of Jesus is one of the central subjects of Western European classical painting.

History of the image

Execution by crucifixion was considered one of the most terrible punishments for criminals in the Roman Empire - the condemned person not only died, but also experienced severe torment before his death. It was practiced everywhere, and before Christianity the cross had no symbolic meaning, but was only an instrument of execution. Such a sentence could only be received by a criminal who was not a Roman citizen, and Jesus was officially executed for a serious crime - an attempt on the political system of the Empire.

The crucifixion is described in detail in the Gospels - Jesus Christ was executed on Mount Calvary along with two criminals. The Virgin Mary, the Apostle John, and Mary Magdalene remained near the Son of God. There were also Roman soldiers, high priests and ordinary onlookers. Almost all of these characters are displayed on the icon of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, each playing their own symbolic role.

Symbols depicted

The central image of the icon is the Life-Giving Cross with Jesus Christ on it. Above the head is a sign with the inscription “I.N.C.I” - “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” According to legend, the inscription was made by Pontius Pilate himself. Those close to him pointed out the inaccuracy, because it was necessary to write that Jesus said that he was a king, but was not a king. To this the Roman prefect replied: “I wrote what I wrote.”

During the period of Early Christianity, in the 1st century AD. e., the Savior was depicted with open eyes, which symbolized immortality. In the Orthodox tradition, the Son of God is painted with his eyes closed, and the main meaning of the icon is the salvation of the human race. The eternal life and divinity of Jesus are symbolized by the angels soaring in the sky mourning him.

On the sides of the cross on the icon, the Virgin Mary and the Apostle John are necessarily written, who after the execution, at the command of God, took care of her until her death as her own mother. In later iconography, other characters are also found in the images - Mary Magdalene, high priests and soldiers. The centurion Longinus is often depicted, a Roman soldier who pierced the side of the crucified Jesus. The Church honors him as a martyr, and in the icon he appears with a halo.

Another important symbol is Mount Golgotha, under which Adam was buried. Icon painters depict in it the skull of the first person. According to legend, the blood from the body of Christ seeped through the earth and washed the bones of Adam - this is how original sin was washed away from all mankind.

Crucified Thieves

The icon of the Crucifixion of the Lord is one of the most popular, so it is not surprising that it has many variations. In some versions, crucified thieves are located on two sides of Christ. According to the Gospels, one of them, a prudent one, repented and asked for forgiveness for his sins. The other, the crazy one, mocked and told Jesus that since he was the Son of God, then why didn’t the Father help and save him from suffering.

In the images, the repentant thief is always located at the right hand of Christ, his gaze turned to God. The head of our Savior is also bowed in his direction, since the repentant has received forgiveness, and after death the Kingdom of Heaven awaits him. The mad robber on the crucifix is often depicted with his back turned completely - for the actions he committed, the road to hell was prepared for the criminal.

What to pray for

Even on the cross, Jesus continued to pray for all people: “Forgive them, Father. For they do not know what they are doing.” Therefore, people pray to the icon of the crucifixion for forgiveness of sins. It is believed that in front of this icon it is easier to sincerely repent of unrighteous deeds and receive spiritual cleansing.

Those who cannot find a way out of a difficult situation, who find it difficult to change circumstances and correct their actions, pray to Christ. The icon of the crucifixion gives strength and can help lead a righteous life, regardless of the past.

The image of two thieves, one of whom received forgiveness, reminds those praying that they can always repent. There is no case when God will not help a sincerely repentant person. Until the last minute of life, everyone has a chance to receive the Kingdom of Heaven.

How to interpret a dream about crucifixion icons

A dream about an icon is a good sign, a symbol of consolation in God, and sometimes a warning against possible sinful deeds. Such dreams are especially favorable for true believers. However, for correct interpretation, some details are taken into account. For example, if you dreamed that the face was located in a church, in difficult times the only salvation and support would be faith. But icons in a house in a dream speak of discord and long quarrels.

Why do you dream about the icon of the crucifixion? Dream books interpret this as an alarming sign, since such dreams promise losses in different areas of life. If you pray in front of an image, you need to pay more attention to spiritual life and worry less about material wealth. But if you dream of other icons of the Savior, the face of Jesus Christ, you can expect help in difficult circumstances.

About some differences between Catholic and Orthodox iconography of the Crucifixion.

Surprisingly, the first depiction of the crucifixion known to us is a caricature. This is a graffito from around the 3rd century on the wall of the Palatine Palace in Rome, it depicts a man in front of a crucifixion, and the crucified man himself is blasphemously depicted with a donkey's head. The inscription, written in Greek, explains: “Αλεξαμενος ςεβετε θεον” (Alexamen worships his God). Obviously, in this way the palace servants ridiculed the Christian who was on the staff of the palace servants. And this is not just a blasphemous picture, this is a very important testimony, it records the worship of the crucified God.

First crucifixions

For a long time, Christians did not depict the crucifixion itself, but simply different versions of the cross. The first images of the crucifixion itself date back to the 4th century. This is, for example, the relief carved on the doors of the Basilica of St. Sabina in Rome.

The image is quite schematic, it is rather not an image of an event, but a sign, a reminder. Similar images of the crucifixion are also present in surviving small sculptures, in particular on gems from the same period.

Gem. Mid-IV century. Great Britain. London. British museum

Symbolic crucifixes

The same period is characterized by "symbolic" crucifixes, representing an earlier tradition. For example, an image of a cross, in the center of which there is a medallion with the image of Christ, or a symbolic image of the Lamb.

Cross with the image of Christ in the center. Mosaic. VI century. Italy. Ravenna. Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe

Christ triumphant

A little later, when the image of the Lord’s crucifixion firmly entered Christian usage, a special iconography appeared - the image of Christ triumphant. It is interesting that this image, having undergone some changes, but retaining its internal content, still exists in Orthodox iconography. Christ is not simply represented as a suffering man on the cross. He triumphs over death, triumphs over suffering. The Savior’s face is extremely calm; we do not see the grimace of death or signs of suffering. Christ's eyes are wide open, and he is often dressed in a purple chiton with gold clavices (stripes). Is it worth reminding once again that this is an imperial robe? The Lord Jesus Christ is portrayed not as a prisoner subjected to a shameful execution, but as the King of Glory who conquered death (Ps. 23: 9-10).

Miniature from the “Gospel of Rabbi.” Syria. 586 Italy. Florence. Laurentian Library

We see examples of such images in book miniatures (for example, in illustrations of the gospels of Ravbula and Rossano of the 6th century), as well as in the painting of the altar of the Roman temple of Santa Maria Antiqua.

Fresco. Italy. Rome. Basilica of Santa Maria Antiqua, ca. 741-752

Canonical iconography

Over time, as usually happens, the iconography acquires certain details. They are mainly borrowed from the Gospel. The main trend can be described as a desire for greater historicism (in the evangelical sense). Christ is now naked (although the obligatory loincloth is present, for reasons of decency). The wounds bleed, and from the wound on the chest blood and water emphatically pour out (John 19:34), here the desire to accurately convey the gospel event may even seem overly deliberate. The blood of the Savior flows down to the foot of the cross, under which we see the skull of the forefather Adam. This is not only a tribute to the tradition according to which Adam was buried in the area of Golgotha, it is a symbol of the fact that the blood of Christ washed away the original sin of the first parents. There is a tablet above the cross, which in different icons, to one degree or another, conveys the essence of the inscription mentioned in the Gospel: “Pilate also wrote the inscription and placed it on the cross. It was written: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."(John 19:19), but sometimes, echoing the previous version of the iconography, it simply reads: “King of Glory.”

Mosaic. Byzantium. XII century. Greece. Monastery of Daphne

Unlike the original version of the iconography, here Christ is dead, His eyes are closed. This detail was also not accidentally introduced into the image - the viewer must realize that the Savior really died for our sins, and therefore really rose again. However, in this case we see the calmness of the face, the absence of the horror of death. The face is calm, the body is not cramped. The Lord is dead, but He still triumphs over death. This type was preserved in the art of Byzantium and the countries of the Byzantine cultural area. It has become entrenched in Orthodox iconography as a canon.

Fresco. Crucifixion. Fragment. Serbia. 1209 Studenetsky Monastery

At the same time, in the Western Church after the fall of Rome, the image of the Lord’s crucifixion began to change, and this applies to both external details and internal meaning.

Three nails

From about the 13th century in the West, the crucified Christ began to be depicted as nailed not with four nails, as was traditionally depicted in both the West and the East before that time, but with three - the Savior’s legs were crossed and nailed with one nail. It is believed that such images first appeared in France, and the Catholic world did not immediately accept such an image; even Pope Innocent III himself opposed it. But over time (perhaps under the influence of popes of French origin), this iconographic feature became entrenched in the Roman Church.

Crucifix with three nails. Mariotto di Nardo. Italy. XIV-XV century. Washington, National Gallery of Art

crown of thorns

Starting from the same 13th century, Christ on the cross is increasingly depicted wearing a crown of thorns, the Gospel is silent on this score, and for traditional iconography this is a rare detail. France again became the catalyst for such images: it was during this period that King Louis IX the Saint acquired the Savior’s crown of thorns (this sovereign spent his entire life collecting relics taken by the crusaders from Constantinople, which they destroyed). Apparently, the appearance of such a revered shrine at the French court had a wide resonance to such an extent that it migrated into iconography.

Mysticism and visionary

But these are all small, “cosmetic” details. The further the Catholic world diverged from the Orthodox, the more the symbolism of the image of the crucifixion of Christ changed. Not without enthusiastic mystical visionaryism, so uncritically accepted by the Catholic world (Orthodox asceticism is rather reserved and cautious about various “visions”). Here, for example, is a fragment of the vision of the famous Western visionary Brigid of Sweden: « ...when He gave up the ghost, the lips were opened so that the spectators could see the tongue, teeth and blood on the lips. The eyes rolled back. The knees bent to one side, the soles of the feet twisted around the nails as if they were dislocated... The convulsively twisted fingers and hands were extended... »

This is an almost exact description of one of the key subsequent Western iconographic traditions - the concentration on the suffering of Christ, the recording of the horror of death, the naturalistic gruesome details of the execution. An example is the work of the German master Matthias Grunewald (1470 or 1475-1528).

Matthias Grunewald. Germany. Beginning of the 16th century. USA. Washington. National Gallery of Art

Unlike the Orthodox icon of the crucifixion of the Lord, here we do not see the image of Christ, who “in the carnal tomb, in hell with the soul like God, in paradise with the thief, and on the throne you were, Christ, with the Father and the Spirit, all fulfill, indescribable” (troparion of the feast of Easter). Here is the image of a dead body. This is not a humble prayer in anticipation of the Resurrection, but an unhealthy meditation on blood and wounds. And it is this moment, and not the number of nails, the presence or absence of a crown of thorns, the language of the inscription of the tablet, etc., that distinguishes the Catholic vision of the passion of Christ from the Orthodox one.

Dmitry Marchenko

> icon of the Crucifixion of Christ with those coming

Icon of the Crucifixion of Christ

One of the main events of the Passion of Christ is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which ended the earthly life of the Savior. Execution by crucifixion itself was the oldest method of dealing with the most dangerous criminals who were not Roman citizens. Jesus Christ himself was officially executed for an attempt on the state structure of the Roman Empire - He called for refusing to pay taxes to Rome, declared himself the King of the Jews and the Son of God. The crucifixion itself was a painful execution - some condemned could hang on the cross for a whole week until they died from suffocation, dehydration or blood loss. Basically, of course, the crucified died from asphyxia (suffocation): their outstretched arms fixed with nails did not allow the abdominal muscles and diaphragm to rest, causing pulmonary edema. To speed up the process, most of those condemned to crucifixion had their shins broken, thereby causing extremely rapid fatigue of these muscles.

The icon of the Crucifixion of Christ shows: the cross on which the Savior was executed was of an unusual shape. Usually, ordinary piles, T-shaped pillars or oblique crosses were used for execution (the Apostle Andrew the First-Called was crucified on a cross of this type, for which this form of the cross received the name “St. Andrew’s”). The Savior’s cross was shaped like a bird flying upward, speaking of His imminent Ascension.

Present at the Crucifixion of Christ were: the Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, the Apostle John the Theologian, the myrrh-bearing women: Mary Magdalene, Mary of Cleopas; two thieves crucified at the left and right hand of Christ, Roman soldiers, onlookers from the crowd and the high priests who mocked Jesus. In the image of the Crucifixion of Christ, John the Theologian and the Virgin Mary are most often depicted standing before Him - the crucified Jesus addressed them from the cross: He ordered the young apostle to take care of the Mother of God as his mother, and the Mother of God to accept Christ’s disciple as a son. Until the Dormition of the Mother of God, John honored Mary as his mother and looked after her. Sometimes the martyr's cross of Jesus is depicted between two other crucifixes, on which two criminals are crucified: a prudent thief and an insane thief. The mad robber reviled Christ, and mockingly asked Him: “Why don’t you, Messiah, save yourself and us?” The prudent robber reasoned with his comrade, saying to him: “We are condemned for our deed, but He suffers innocently!” And, turning to Christ, he said: “Remember me, Lord, when you find yourself in Your Kingdom!” Jesus answered the wise thief: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will be with Me in Paradise!” In the images of the Crucifixion of Christ, where there are two robbers, guess which of them is crazy. and who is prudent is quite simple. The helplessly bowed head of Jesus points in the direction where the prudent thief is. In addition, in the Orthodox iconographic tradition, the raised lower crossbar of the Savior’s cross points to the prudent thief, hinting that the Kingdom of Heaven awaited this repentant man, and hell awaited the blasphemer of Christ.

On most icons of the Crucifixion of the Savior, the martyr's cross of Christ stands on the top of the mountain, and a human skull is visible under the mountain. Jesus Christ was crucified on Mount Golgotha - according to legend, it was under this mountain that Noah’s eldest son Shem buried the skull and two bones of Adam, the first man on Earth. The Savior’s blood from the wounds of His body, falling to the ground, seeping through the soil and stones of Golgotha, will wash the bones and skull of Adam, thereby washing away the original sin that lay on humanity. Above the head of Jesus there is a sign “I.N.C.I” - “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” It is believed that the inscription on this table was made by Pontius Pilate himself, who overcame the opposition of the Jewish high priests and scribes, who believed that with this inscription the Roman prefect of Judea would show unprecedented honor to the executed man. Sometimes, instead of “I.N.Ts.I”, another inscription is depicted on the tablet - “King of Glory” or “King of Peace” - this is typical for the works of Slavic icon painters.

Sometimes there is an opinion that Jesus Christ died from a spear that pierced His chest. But the testimony of the Evangelist John the Theologian says the opposite: the Savior died on the cross, before his death he drank vinegar, which was brought to him on a sponge by the mocking Roman soldiers. The two robbers who were executed along with Christ had their legs broken to quickly kill them. And the centurion of the Roman soldiers Longinus pierced the body of the dead Jesus with his spear to make sure of His death, leaving the bones of the Savior intact, which confirmed the ancient prophecy mentioned in the Psalter: "Not one of His bones will be broken!". The body of Jesus Christ was taken down from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea, a noble member of the Holy Sanhedrin who secretly professed Christianity. The repentant centurion Longinus soon converted to Christianity and was later executed for preaching sermons glorifying Christ. Saint Longinus was canonized as a martyr.

Objects that in one way or another participated in the process of the Crucifixion of Christ became sacred Christian relics, called Instruments of the Passion of Christ. These include:

The cross on which Christ was crucified
The nails with which he was nailed to the cross
The pliers used to pull out those nails
Sign "I.N.C.I"
crown of thorns
Spear of Longinus
A bowl of vinegar and a sponge with which the soldiers gave water to the crucified Jesus
The ladder with which Joseph of Arimathea removed His body from the cross
The clothes of Christ and the dice of the soldiers who divided His clothes among themselves.

Each time, making the sign of the cross, we draw an image of the cross in the air, with reverence and inexpressible gratitude remembering the voluntary feat of Jesus Christ, who with his earthly death atoned for the original sin of mankind and gave people hope for salvation.

People pray to the icon of the Crucifixion of Christ for forgiveness of sins; they turn to it with repentance.

Present at the Crucifixion of Christ were: Our Lady the Virgin Mary. Apostle John the Theologian, myrrh-bearing women: Mary Magdalene, Mary of Cleopas; two thieves crucified at the left and right hand of Christ, Roman soldiers, onlookers from the crowd and the high priests who mocked Jesus. In the image of the Crucifixion of Christ, John the Theologian and the Virgin Mary are most often depicted standing before Him - the crucified Jesus addressed them from the cross: He ordered the young apostle to take care of the Mother of God as his mother, and the Mother of God to accept Christ’s disciple as a son. Until the Dormition of the Mother of God, John honored Mary as his mother and looked after her. Sometimes the martyr's cross of Jesus is depicted between two other crucifixes, on which two criminals are crucified: a prudent thief and an insane thief. The mad robber reviled Christ, and mockingly asked Him: “Why don’t you, Messiah, save yourself and us?” The prudent robber reasoned with his comrade, saying to him: “We are condemned for our deed, but He suffers innocently!” And, turning to Christ, he said: “Remember me, Lord, when you find yourself in Your Kingdom!” Jesus answered the wise thief: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will be with Me in Paradise!” In the images of the Crucifixion of Christ, where there are two robbers, guess which of them is crazy. and who is prudent is quite simple. The helplessly bowed head of Jesus points in the direction where the prudent thief is. In addition, in the Orthodox iconographic tradition, the raised lower crossbar of the Savior’s cross points to the prudent thief, hinting that the Kingdom of Heaven awaited this repentant man, and hell awaited the blasphemer of Christ.