Ship of Fools: What is a crucifix without a christ when it isn't a cross?

Thread: What is a crucifix without a christ when it isn't a cross? Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by HughWillRidmee (# 15614) on :

Seen recently in a small, rural, French church. (Clergoux, Correze).

An apparent crucifix some 1.5m(?) high on the stone wall to the right of the window behind the simple altar. (Brilliant windows as well incidentally). Apparently a dark monochromatic cross with a Christ hanging upon it, a Christ of the same colour as the light stone of the wall.

But it wasn't. My partner noticed first.

The structure was in two parts - the upper a cross bar with a relatively short central vertical. Towards the ends of the crossbar cut-outs, rather like the top third of a keyhole but extending from the underside to one third from the top of the bar and each angled at about 45 degrees from inner lower to upper outer. Beneath the short vertical a semi-circular cut-out offset to the left with a narrowing tongue of the sole material extending a few inches as though a continuation of the right side of the vertical.

Beneath this is a lower part - separated by c. 0.5m of air from the upper - a simple vertical of the same width as the upper parts, with a cut-out at the top somewhat akin to a stalactite (offset a little to the left) with a swollen termination centrally in the vertical.

Clearly the artist was, very cleverly, using the human tendency to make sense of sparse data. The cut-outs on the crossbar looked like hands, the central cut-out like the top of a head and the stalactite transformed into a thigh, calves and overlapping feet. The central gap became, in the imagination, the body hanging between the nailed hands and the lower legs.

I have never seen such an interpretation, though my knowledge of such matters is minimal.

Is this a common style of depiction?

It occurred to me the style could be interpreted, for RCs etc., as a crucifix - as an empty cross for those of a background more like mine - or as an atheist's disguised comment. Neat eh?

Can't find any image on the www so no link, hence the tortuous description. Took a couple of photos though.

Posted by Gramps49 (# 16378) on :

If you can put your pictures on something like www.photobucket.com and then link to them here, it would be helpful to see what you are talking about.

Posted by HughWillRidmee (# 15614) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Gramps49:
If you can put your pictures on something like www.photobucket.com and then link to them here, it would be helpful to see what you are talking about.

Thanks

this

Not too clear - partly poor lighting and partly poor photography

Posted by Adeodatus (# 4992) on :

My answer to the OP question would be, "Art."

Wow. I've never seen anything like that. It's beautiful. The execution is so simple it's almost naive, but the idea could be very fruitful for meditation. It draws my mind to the concept of the absence of God, but that's probably just me.

Posted by Amos (# 44) on :

I like it too. Incarnational and apophatic in one go.

Posted by seasick (# 48) on :

I think it's quite brilliant. I find it quite evocative, even stunning just looking at the photos you've posted. I'm sure its effect is even more profound when you're actually there.

Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :

I find it freaky, like the outlines where bodies were in Hiroshima.

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :

Another vote for stunning.

I think still technically a crucifix and I find there is something moving about connecting it with the Hiroshima bodies but also think there is a echo of the Pompeii body casts.

Jengie

Posted by aig (# 429) on :

What an amazing find in the middle of nowhere. I also think it is stunning.

Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :

Someone's been very clever, but I agree, it's beautiful in its simplicity.

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

"He is not here."

Posted by roybart (# 17357) on :

The imagery I see here is slightly different, recalling -- "I am the vine; you are the branches." (John 15:5)

Posted by Garasu (# 17152) on :

I like...

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Kelly Alves:
"He is not here."

That was my reaction, too.

Posted by churchgeek (# 5557) on :

So rich in its possible interpretations, isn't it?

The crucifix is meant to help us connect our sufferings with Christ's (which is why so many people touch them), so the emptiness is really quite profound. It's both the emptiness we suffer from - e.g., when we feel God is absent, or when we feel devoid of worth or meaning - and the self-emptying of Christ which heals us. It evokes for me a sense of longing which Christ fulfills. And just as it requires the perceptual trick of the human mind (which actively seeks out the human form) to see it, so seeing God - and seeing Being, Unity, Beauty, Goodness, and Truth - in a broken, bleeding, dying man on a cross requires the "eyes" of faith.

And what does it mean when you can't touch Christ on his Cross? Is there a bit of Noli me tangere here?

This is a great example of how art can be a source for theology, not merely an illustration. You can find insights in your experience with a work of art like this.

Posted by earrings (# 13306) on :

It's extraordinary and beautiful. I think I need to spend time just sitting with it, but I think I love it

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :

This is a picture I took in the Brazilian village of Icoaraci, but I think I like the French one better.

Posted by Anselmina (# 3032) on :

Interesting photo, LeRoc.

I love the French cross in the church. It is beautiful. And actually thought Mousethief's comment about the Hiroshema shadow was apposite. Along with Kelly's. Like when we look at the cross we see an historic image of what was - as an eternal fact - but still able to see, too, that Jesus isn't there any more.

Posted by Adeodatus (# 4992) on :

It just occurred to me how funny it would be if we were all hopelessly wide of the mark, and HughWillRidmee happened to arrive at the church just after someone had stolen the statue of Jesus.

Posted by Porridge (# 15405) on :

No fan of the crucifix here, but that is deeply moving piece of art.

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :

I agree Adeodatus it would be funny but the lack of marks of nails or other fixing means that I sincerely doubt it.

Jengie

Posted by Yonatan (# 11091) on :

Clever in concept, profound in meaning and beautiful in design. Love it.

Posted by Grammatica (# 13248) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:

quote:
Originally posted by Kelly Alves:
"He is not here."
That was my reaction, too.

And mine - but he is still here for us, we still see him.

Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :

Not usually a fan of the crucifix but would love to sit in front of this one. Great art touches the heart.

Posted by luvanddaisies (# 5761) on :

Love it. What a clever thing. Thanks for sharing it.
I wonder who the person in a small church was that commissioned/bought it? It's very simple, but it does bear thinking about - I also thought of the "He is not here..." comment from the tomb, amongst other things. It does lend itself to thinkings and ponderings, doesn't it?

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