With
Holy Week coming up, I decided to do a series on how the Old Masters saw those
events. I’m starting this week with Palm Sunday.
The
image at the top of this post is how we usually picture what we refer to as the
triumphal entry, with Jesus surrounded by people spreading cloaks and palm
branches before Him. The 1860 woodcut for Des Bibel in Bildern (The Bible in
Pictures) is by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld.
The
next photo shows a 1305 fresco by Giotto and is a typical Medieval portrayal of
those events. Notice that Jesus is richly dressed and looks much more like a
nobleman than a humble rabbi.
This final image shows the Spanish influence. It is attributed to Master of San Baudelio de Berlanga, circa 1125.
No matter how Jesus is portrayed in visual art, the best pictures are in words and come from the Bible. Here is the account of his entry into Jerusalem taken from Mark 11:8-10 (ESV):
And many spread their cloaks on the road,
and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those
who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he
who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father
David! Hosanna in the highest!”
Although
He came as a king, He rode on a donkey because He came in peace. The battle for
salvation was still to come. We’ll see images about that battle next week.
__________
These
works of art are all in the public domain because of their age.
