A work-in-progress… your input is welcome!
I am putting together a book of visual art with commentary. It is based on the classic Metropolitan Museum of Art volume The Life of Christ in Art, which traces the Gospel story from Annunciation to Last Judgment through the masterpieces in their collection.
My book, however, will focus on art from the last few decades—in order to demonstrate that world-class art engaging with the Gospel narratives is still being made—at the highest levels of craft and vision.
And I’m looking for your suggestions.
My hope is that the book will draw on images from around the world and in every imaginable artistic style. Of course, I will only be able to use a small number of the works suggested to me, but the book will benefit from as much input as possible. I will endeavor to reply in a timely fashion, but be patient!
What I’m looking for:
Date range: 1968-2018 (I may tighten this, but it’s a place to start)
Subject matter: Anything that attempts to render some aspect of the life of Christ as found in the Gospels. I will paste in below some of the classic “iconographic” moments from Christian tradition but I am open to works that may stand outside those conventions.
Click here to email information about the works you are nominating!
Iconographic Conventions
The following list provides most of the iconographical archetypes from the tradition of Western art, and so offers an indication of what the complete table of contents for the book might look like.
- Annunciation
- Visitation
- Nativity
- Annunciation to the Shepherds/Adoration of the Shepherds
- Adoration of the Magi
- Virgin and Child
- Epiphany
- Flight into Egypt
- Christ as Carpenter
- The Baptism of Christ
- Temptation of Christ in the Wilderness
- Christ Calling the First Apostles
- Christ at Cana
- Christ Healing the Sick
- Sermon on the Mount
- Christ and Children
- Loaves and Fishes
- Calming the Storm
- Transfiguration
- Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem
- Christ Driving the Moneychangers from Temple
- Christ Washing Feet
- Last Supper/The Eucharist
- Christ’s Agony in Gethsemane
- Christ’s Betrayal
- Christ before Pilate
- The Flagellation of Christ
- Ecce Homo
- Carrying the Cross
- Crucifixion
- Deposition
- Pieta
- Entombment
- Resurrection
- Women at the Tomb
- Noli me Tangere
- Ascension of Christ
- Assumption of Mary
- The Last Judgement
Other conventions, while not fitting into the narrative of the life of Christ, might also be considered. These would include:
- Christ as the Good Shepherd
- Christ as Lamb of God
- Christ as Intercessor
- Christ as Second Person of the Blessed Trinity
- Christ as Light of the World
Header image: Theodore Prescott, Annunciation, 1978-79. cast hydrocal, neon, wood, found objects, figure life size, area 4′ x 12′.
