Descent from the Cross with a Silhouette of Jerusalem in the Background 1852

Franz Johann Heinrich Nadorp made this pencil drawing of the Descent from the Cross, its date is unknown. The scene depicts a well-known episode from the Bible in which Jesus Christ is taken down from the cross after his crucifixion. This image creates meaning through the use of Christian visual codes. The cross, the ladder, and the silhouette of Jerusalem in the background all have historical associations to the story of Jesus. Nadorp was working in Rome at this time and was closely associated with the German expatriate artistic community there. The first half of the 19th century witnessed a revival of Christian art in Europe which was supported by powerful institutions such as the church and the state. Artists such as Nadorp aimed to create moving and uplifting images that reinforced traditional values. Art history helps us understand the social context of the time in which artworks are made. To better understand this drawing, it is worth exploring the history of Christian art and the revival of religious imagery in the 19th century.