Piero della Francesca’s Resurrection depicts Jesus emerging from his tomb. Della Francesca’s rather unremarkable work does have a few interesting features. Firstly, he depicts Jesus as “athletic,” in the words of Aldous Huxley. His abs stand out sharply against the rest of his body. Everyone seems to disagree with me, and I admit that it does not fit with the tone of the story overall, but I really think that Jesus’ expression in this painting betrays a sort of sadness. His face is at best emotionless, but his eyes stare past the viewer, forlorn. Francesca uses more than Jesus’ eyes to convey a sense of melancholy in the painting. The tree on the right behind Jesus is verdant with leaves, symbolizing Jesus’ resurrection, and in stark contrast to those on the left. However, the dismal grays of the background rob the painting of its joy and leave me wondering what kind of emotional state Francesca was in when he painted this fresco in the meeting hall of Sansepulcro.

On a weird note, the sleeping man with the spear has no legs.

I really struggled to enjoy this painting. While many appreciate this painting as a masterpiece, I cannot seem to make a connection with. I do not find Francesca’s craftsmanship particularly remarkable. Perhaps the only aspect of this painting I enjoy is the conflict in emotions we see in Jesus’ expression. Francesca seems perhaps to express himself beyond a strict interpretation of the events of The Bible.