Ressurection

The present sheet belongs to a series of eleven anonymous German drawings illustrating the Passion of Christ. Five drawings from the series are now in the Morgan's collection. Framed by a lush cloud, Christ is depicted triumphantly emerging from his tomb. While the scene seems to conflate Christ's resurrection and his ascension, the presence of soldiers rather than apostles affirms that this is an image of the resurrection. It perhaps follows the Gospel of St. Luke, which, unlike the Acts of the Apostles, makes no clear distinction between the events of Easter Sunday and the Ascension. The drawings in this series are rendered in a frame with a horizontal strip left blank at the lower margin, suggesting the drawings served in preparation for engravings. Each drawing was first composed in red chalk and then retouched in pen and black ink.