The Triumphant Christ Forgiving Repentant Sinners

            The painting, The Triumphant Christ Repentant Sinners, has many aspects of it that are fascinating.  These aspects intrigue the viewer and make them question the meanings of them. With its contrasting colors and numerous objects, the painting is a extraordinary example of art in the 1600’s.  This oil on canvas painting was finished in 1660 and was painted by Johann Boeckhorst who was famous for his religious pictures.  With the many different symbols of this painting, a viewer can take many perspectives and gain much knowledge about religious paintings and how different artists portray the crucifixion.

            Johann Boeckhorst was born in Germany in 1603.  As a youth, he was a student of another famous painter named Ruben.  Ruben’s influence on Boeckhorst is obvious through the slender, elegant figure of Christ (Ackland).  This upbringing influenced the way in which Boeckhorst portrays Christ and his environment and differed from many other artists in his depictions of the subject.

            Some artists tend to portray the death of Christ in the actual act of the crucifixion.  Johann Boeckhorst symbolizes the forgiveness of the crucifixion by having all of the past time before him in the form of biblical sinners.  Through research, I identified Jesus’ visitors around him.  They are all people at one point had sinned and sought forgiveness from Christ.  The man on the left side is King David and he is recognizable from his crown.  The man kneeling before Christ is the “Repentant Thief.”  Next to him, in the bottom right of the painting, is Mary Magdalen who once was a prostitute but found forgiveness (Ackland).  Behind her are the “Prodigal Son” and St. Peter who is weeping.  All these figures can be found in the Bible and have sinned and sought repentance (Bible).  This is different from many other painters in the fact that they show a realistic representation of Jesus on the cross which symbolizes the forgiveness.  Instead of the actual act of the crucifixion, Boeckhorst shows the forgiveness in the form of Jesus with extended arms forgiving repentant sinners.

            The focal point of the painting, The Triumphant Christ Forgiving Repentant Sinners, is Jesus Christ in the central part.  Jesus draws attention to the viewer because of his pale white skin tone that is shimmering in the light of the halo around his head.  The white of his skin represents purity and cleanliness of his spirit.  Jesus is also carrying his crucifix and holding in upright and forgiving people.  Around his arm appears to be some sort of shawl or clothing that is orange.  The top left corner of the painting contains cherubs with olive branches in their hands.  This symbolizes God’s forgiveness which goes back to the famous Bible story of Noah’s Ark; in which a dove retrieved an olive branch to signify the flood was over (The New King James Study Bible. Gen. 8.11).  The angels are also the same skin tone as Christ which signifies that they are clean of sin and pure.  Surrounding Christ is a gathering of people who are seeking repentance.  They are all dressed differently.  Some look very elegant and regal while others look like homeless and vagabonds.  There is also a monk to the right of the crucifix who is bowing his head because he knows the significance of Jesus dying on the cross and was deeply saddened for his death.  His sad demeanor is represented by his lowered head.

            Another aspect of the painting is the scenery and background.  The sunlight at the top of the painting is shining down on the spot of the crucifixion, illuminating the area giving it a somewhat holy demeanor.  Behind Christ ominous clouds are forming, which symbolizes the forgiving, impassioned time before the death of God’s only Son. This painting is meant to be read diagonally from right to left, through the center, to the bottom corner.  This is because of the bright white colors that are running through the painting in that direction.  The white colors begin with the cherubs at the top left, and then they continue through the middle towards Christ, and then reach the pale skin of Mary Magdalen at the bottom right.  The sunlight at the top also produces direct rays of light that run from the top and travels towards the bottom right corner also giving the viewer direction on where to look. 

            The lines of this painting are curvy, giving it a soft impression for viewers; not creating any harsh feeling but that of sympathy and gentleness.  This is done to show that there is no anger in the painting, only people expressing their sorrow for their wrongdoings.  Also the soft textures that are expressed in the foreground represent compassion and hope by gentle lines.  The lighting of the painting goes along these same themes of hope and compassion.

            This painting is unlike many of the paintings of the crucifixion in the aspect that it is more of a bright time of hope rather than a saddened stressful time.  Most of the pictures I have viewed of the crucifixion of Christ has Jesus in agony on the cross and does not depict the time before his death.  This painting, instead of representing the literal forgiving of sin by showing Him on the cross, has Jesus in the act of forgiving everyone who is represented by the few surrounding Him.

            The painting, The Triumphant Christ Forgiving Repentant Sinners, is a religious painting that uses many symbols to express messages and meanings that the average viewer would not necessarily recognize at first glance.  Even though Boeckhorst as an atypical representation of the significance of the crucifixion, he still does an extraordinary job of conveying the meaning of it. Using many unique aspects, Boeckhorst contributed his view of the crucifixion through many objects and the scenery and went away from the normal viewpoint in which many artist of the 17^th Century did not show.