Depicting the Holy Passion: A Visual Journey to the Resurrection
Holy Week in 14 paintings, and the hidden theological difference between the Orthodox and Western Church
As we go through Holy Week in the Orthodox Church, a period of deep devotion, inner reflection, and anticipation, and while the Easter celebrations in the Western Church have just concluded, I thought we could take a different, visual journey through the Holy Passion. Through the following paintings by master artists, I provide a brief description of what transpires each day, highlighting the thematic differences between the Western and Orthodox traditions during the first three days. It is a visual and spiritual journey from the entry into Jerusalem to the redemption of the Resurrection.
If you are wondering why there is this divergence at the start of the week, the answer does not lie simply in the Great Schism of 1054, which in any case sealed this difference by cutting off any bridges of interaction. The essence lies in the fact that, over the centuries, the two churches developed entirely different psychological and theological approaches to how the faithful should experience the Passion.
The West followed a linear, historical approach, influenced by Roman pragmatism. Later, during the Middle Ages, the emphasis was placed on the realistic representation of events. This continued into the Renaissance, which perhaps explains why iconography in the Western Church gradually drifted away from the transcendental, Byzantine style. The purpose of the Liturgy and of art was to accurately depict the biblical events for the illiterate believer. This is why the Western Holy Week liturgy invites the faithful to follow the events strictly chronologically, as witnesses: it places them in Jerusalem, right next to Jesus, “walking” in His footsteps, day by day, hour by hour, from the welcoming with palm branches (Palm Sunday) to the Crucifixion and Resurrection (Easter Sunday).
In the Eastern, Byzantine Rite, however, the approach is not strictly chronological, but parabolic, ascetic, and eschatological. Like we did with the Western iconography, we must keep in mind the Byzantine iconography that is preserved to this day in the East: the transcendent gold background, lack of realism and perspective, and minimal or entirely absent ornamentation. The Orthodox Church “suspends” historical time during the first three days to create a psychological and spiritual bridge. The goal is not merely narration, but the preparation of the soul to endure the Passion.
Behind the paywall:
Beyond the Great Schism: We dive into the exact moment in history when the East and West truly parted ways, exploring how monks reshaped Christian art and worship, forever changing the way we experience the Holy Passion.
14 Masterpieces of the Passion: A daily visual journey through Holy Week guided by the brushes of El Greco, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Dalí, contrasted beautifully with the metaphysical depth of Greek masters like Gyzis, Damaskinos and Tzanes. Together, we will trace the profound emotional shift from the suffocating darkness of Golgotha to the exquisite harmony of Raphael’s Resurrection and the lyricism of Titian.
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