If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

Main content

The audacity of Christian art: This world and the next: Christ on earth; Christ in heaven | National Gallery

This episode explores three popular picture types which have no gospel basis but which use temporal and spatial ambiguity to reflect on the mystery of Christ having a temporal life on earth, and also being part of the eternal Trinity. The principal paintings discussed in this episode are ‘The Virgin and Child in a Landscape’ by Jan Provoost (early 16th century), ‘The Virgin and Child Enthroned by Cosimo Tura’ (mid-1470s), and ‘Christ Crowned with Thorns’ by Dirk Bouts (about 1470).

Want to join the conversation?

  • aqualine tree style avatar for user David Alexander
    Our understanding of things has, in the past 200 years, been reduced to what is captured by a camera in the blink of a shutter. These paintings seem to ignore the passage of time, and layer one time's features upon another, enriching our understanding through story telling. OK, this is Renaisance stuff. Is later art of any sort similarly built up on "temporal layers" to tell stories?
    (6 votes)
    Default Khan Academy avatar avatar for user

Video transcript