Édouard Manet, The Dead Christ and the Angels, 1864

My god what a mess.

The first of Manet’s only two religious paintings, The Dead Christ and the Angels was perhaps one of the most controversial of his body of work. Displayed in 1864, during the era of Realism, Neoclassicism and the new emergence of Impressionism, Manet’s The Dead Christ and the Angels represents both the passion of Impressionism and the tone of Neoclassicism.

Unlike the idealistic paintings of the time, Christ’s infamous cross-bearing posture has been diminished to a withered, powerless and overall just plain awkward slumping state. Reclining with his hands flopped to his sides, legs spread unceremoniously apart, and the look of just plain futility and angst, this version of the great and powerful Jesus Christ does not bode well for the countless devotees of our Lord and Savior. Manet’s representation of Christ depicts him as vulnerable, unheroic and overall... well, human. Additionally, the two angels behind him look too much like peasant women with huge elegant wings strapped onto their backs. A scene most certainly not worthy of worship.

Oh but wait - there’s more.

Known as the “bridge between realism and impressionism,” Manet’s ability to find the right balance became quite difficult, especially in this painting. It was almost as if Manet’s Neoclassicism side said “let’s paint a religious painting, and make it realistic,” and his young, enthusiastic Impressionistic side went on hyperdrive and went a bit too far with the realism. The lighting of the painting is dour by standards of both Impressionistic and Realistic paintings of the time. A soft light focuses only on Christ and the angel on the right. The shadows, paired with the mournful blacks, browns and whites, really highlight the bruises and transparency of Christ’s corpse. The Angel, positioned slightly behind Christ, holds him up as if he wasn’t strong enough to do so himself. Critics of the Salon felt the painting lacked any sort of “holiness and spirituality,” and, in general, Christ looked just “too dead” for their tastes. Although, Manet did include a thin halo, one of the only details to suggest any sort of divinity. Of course, this wasn’t the only mistake made by Monsieur Manet.

On a rock in the the lower right side of the painting, there is a small inscription that reads “Gospel according to Saint John, Chapter 20, Verse 12.” In that particular passage, Mary Magdalene has found Jesus’ tomb empty except for the two angels. In the painting, however, the two angels are with Christ instead of in his tomb waiting to greet Mary Magdalene. Furthermore, while on its way to the 1864 Salon Exhibition, Manet realizes that he had painted the wound on the right side, instead of the left. Frantically, he contacts Baudelaire confessing his inaccuracy. Baudelaire instructs him to fix his mistake so as to not “ give the malicious something to laugh at.” Unfortunately, Manet stubbornly kept the wound on the right and the critics, indubitably, had a field day.

When asked to pick a single painting off a wall almost 30 times my size, I chose this one. Not the Lichtenstein, not any of the Magrittes, nor the numerous paintings of naked ladies. I chose this one. When I looked at the title and the man who painted it, I was somewhat stunned at my own subconscious. I am not religious, nor am I a huge fan of Impressionism, especially Manet...but I’d follow this painting to hell and back if I had to. Manet’s jab at both religion and realism, and the softness and beauty created by the curved lines and muted color palette serves as a good reminder for me of how gloriously amusing and stunning art can be.