The Doubting Thomas 

Carl Bloch painted "The Doubting Thomas" sometime in the late 19th century. In it, he captures a biblical scene of the apostle Thomas encountering the resurrected Christ. Painted in Denmark, a Lutheran country, it’s impossible to consider this image outside the institutional history of the church. Bloch was commissioned to create religious paintings for the Chapel at Frederiksborg Castle, influencing interpretations of biblical narratives. The painting invites questions about faith, doubt, and the power of visual evidence. Bloch presents a humanized Christ, displaying his wounds, and an emotional Thomas, grappling with belief. By looking at religious texts, historical accounts, and the cultural context of 19th-century Denmark, we can delve deeper into the social and cultural forces shaping Bloch's artistic choices, and gain a richer understanding of the painting's enduring resonance.