Around the same time, I was transfixed by the Isenheim alterpiece which you see here. This particular alterpiece is by German artist Mattias Grunewald and was painted between 1512-1516. Not surprisingly, it is considered Grunewald’s masterpiece.
Compared to all the other images of crucified Christs I’d seen to that point, this one was more horrifying than the rest. What set Grunewald’s Christ apart was his skin colour and the fact that he appeared to be unmistakenly dead; note the fallen head, how the body’s weight is pulling on the arms and the rib cage, see the twisted feet. This is not a ‘body beautiful’ Jesus, but a very mortal one, his sacrifice is evident.
I googled the alterpiece this morning and discovered something new; it was painted for the Monastery of St. Anthony in Issenheim , which specialised in hospital work. The monks there were noted for their care of plague victims and for their treatment of skin diseases such as the Christ is suffering from here. Having a Christ displaying plague-like sores was to show the patients that Christ too, suffered like them.
In 1988, I was fortunate to travel to Colmar, France and see it. It is indeed monumental, the figures are lifesized.
It was truly a religious experience!
To finish, I include my own childish interpretation of the crucifixion, drawn for Easter 1965. Though I was not quite 7 years old at that time, I was intent on realism- though where would have seen genitals depicted? ( Christ is always discreetly covered-) I also had no idea about how to show pectoral muscles- so my Jesus looks intersexed here..
The expressions on the two figures is equally interesting; my Christ has one eye open and is looking to the kneeling woman below. She is kneeling and praying, but with a smile on her face! In my childish mind, she was doing what she ought to do and Christ was pleased with her.
