Gospel in Art: Easter Sunday

The Resurrection. Tapestry woven in Brussels after Cartoon by Raphael. Workshop of Pieter Van Aelst © Vatican Museum, Gallery of Tapestries

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 9 April 2023
Matthew 28:1-10

After the sabbath, and towards dawn on the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary went to visit the sepulchre. And all at once there was a violent earthquake, for the angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled away the stone and sat on it. His face was like lightning, his robe white as snow. The guards were so shaken, so frightened of him, that they were like dead men. But the angel spoke; and he said to the women, 'There is no need for you to be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said he would. Come and see the place where he lay, then go quickly and tell his disciples, "He has risen from the dead and now he is going before you to Galilee; it is there you will see him." Now I have told you.' Filled with awe and great joy the women came quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell the disciples.

And there, coming to meet them, was Jesus. 'Greetings' he said. And the women came up to him and, falling down before him, clasped his feet. Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee; they will see me there.'

Reflection on the tapestry

Happy Easter from Rome!

The Gallery of the Tapestries or the Galleria Degli Arazzi is one of the most spectacular rooms inside the Vatican Museums. Raphael was a contemporary of Michelangelo and worked in the Vatican at the same time as Michelangelo was painting the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. In 1514, when Raphael was just 31 years old, he was commissioned by Pope Leo X to design 12 tapestries to depict the life of Christ. Our tapestry today depicts the Resurrection.

Raphael and his students made what were called cartoons, which were large scale drawings, which were then shipped to Brussels in Belgium where they were woven in silk and wool at the school of Pieter Van Aelst between 1524-1531. These magnificent Raphael tapestries were originally designed to be hung on the lower tier inside the Sistine Chapel. The tapestry of the Resurrection is not only a visually stunning, large work of art (562 x 954 cm) but also has has an inbuilt clever trompe'l'oeil. When one gazes at the eyes of Christ and also at the fallen door he steps upon, you will find that through illusionistic methods it appears that Christ's eyes (and also the positioning of the door) follow you as you walk down the room. This is a similar effect to the method used by Leonardo Di Vinci for his painting of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre in Paris.

A very happy Easter Sunday to you all. I will leave you with the words of Pope Francis which he spoke at the Easter Vigil at St Peter's Basilica on 3 April 2021:

"From the rubble of our hearts - and each one of us knows the rubble of our hearts - God can create a work of art; from the ruined remnants of our humanity, God can prepare a new history. He never ceases to go ahead of us: in the cross of suffering, desolation and death, and in the glory of a life that rises again, a history that changes, a hope that is reborn."

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/

Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-28-1-10-2023-2/