Alive and Well

Anastasis from the Cariye Cami (Church of Christ in Chora), Istanbul, c1315 - 1320

Donatello, Resurrection from the San Lorenzo Pulpit reliefs, Florence, c1460 - 1466

Piero della Francesca, Resurrection, c1460 - 1463

Giovanni Bellini, Risen Christ, c1490

Mathias Grunewald, Resurrection from the Isenheim Altarpiece, 1515

Albrecht Altdorfer, Resurrection from the St. Florian Altarpiece, 1518

Such an amazing variety in a period of a little over 200 years! There's the majestic Anastasis from the funeral chapel of the old Chora Church, probably the finest Byzantine Anastasis to survive. There is Donatello's anguished Risen Christ, still troubled and sleepy from the tomb. We have Piero della Francesca's magnificent triumphant Christ, also still a little sleepy. The body of Bellini's Christ glows with the reflected golden light of the dawn. Grunewald's great Christ glows within a great phosphorescent nimbus that turns His white shroud fiery scarlet. And finally there is Altdorfer's strange Resurrection with its turbulent blood-red sunrise. Six different artists show us six very different understandings of the Resurrection.

A Blessed and Happy Easter to All!