Unspeakable images: When words fail | The audacity of Christian art | National Gallery

No single painting of Christ in the canon of Christian art can adequately express what Christians believe about him, but this final episode considers how a painting can point beyond itself, encouraging the viewer not to take the image at face value but to engage with the mystery it presents.
Chloë Reddaway explores the use of blank spaces as a radical way of indicating divine activity and looks at the value of unfinished works in stimulating the viewer’s imagination with a close look at Michelangelo’s unfinished masterpiece, ‘The Entombment’ (around 1500-1).
‘The audacity of Christian art: The problem of painting Christ’ is a seven-part series in which Dr Chloë Reddaway, Howard and Roberta Ahmanson Curator in Art and Religion at the National Gallery, explores the theological and artistic challenges involved in painting Christ as fully human and fully divine, and reveals some of the ingenious and surprising ways in which Renaissance artists responded.
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The National Gallery houses the national collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the 19th centuries. The museum is free of charge and open 361 days per year, daily between 10.00 am - 6.00 pm and on Fridays between 10.00 am - 9.00 pm.
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[@UmbrellaGent]

In Michelangelo's unfinished painting it is curious that Christ is unusually (and audaciously) painted completely uncovered in his adult form. At the same time, his genitals are left unpainted, really the only clearly unfinished elements of his figure (the other visible gaps appear to be Joseph's hands supporting Christ). In this state again is suggested the humanity but also the divine purity of Christ. I am very grateful for this wonderfully interesting series. I hope that one day we may receive another, perhaps covering more contemporary Christian art. For instance, the works of the Pre-raphaelties.

[@taniaillingworth7953]

so clear, so interesting, so edifying and a completely wonderful delivery about this marvellous painting. thank you

[@masoncrispin1338]

Most intelligent and interesting, but I do want to thank you for articulating your comentary in beautiful English. Pretty rare in this field.

[@enricopascucci4802]

Very interesting and great commentary. Many thanks to the presenter and to the National Gallery.

[@grzegorzpacyk9157]

Thank you very much for very clear introduction to symbols in christian art. I am impressed.

[@craigblykins]

Chloe, you are a superb narrator. This is a masterful commentary. Well done!

[@gandalfwannabe1]

Absolutely brilliant series. Thank you.

[@tomaslindstrom6829]

Thank you so much for this spirituell journey. Magnificent! Tomas from Sweden.

[@josephososkie3029]

When pressed for an adjective of God, Aquinas Responds “ God is ‘ incomprehensible’”. I think this was very well done.

[@lgrahamnh]

wonderful presentation in the true sense of the word. Thank you for the lift.

[@nycmermaid3158]

Such insightful, articulate and moving analysis and commentary. Really enjoyed and was enlightened by this series and presenter. Thank you.

[@edrandomed]

Thank you. I learned many things through this careful and thoughtful presentation.

[@monicacallesarenales5865]

Great videos, thanks for this interesting series! :-)

[@nationalgallery]

Our pleasure, thank you for watching

[@DanielMonte-ks1sz]

Absolutely amazing presentation!

[@glengrieve544]

Great content and beautifully presented thank you for showing it❤

[@nationalgallery]

Thanks for watching with us

[@lynnblack6493]

Please. I hope I can get back to the National Gallery, with my newly acquired insights!

[@seujorge1989]

I can listen for hours 😍

[@reggiedunlop2099]

I just stumbled upon this series, it's excellent...very enlightening and entertaining. I'd like to watch the episodes in order. Is there someway that they could be numbered or listed in sequence?

[@giuseppapandolfo5408]

Commendable exposure; very appreciated. Thanks

[@martijnkeisers5900]

I could listen to her all day.

[@jackedson7854]

Such a wonderful analysis, thank you

[@margaretcchen]

Thoroughly enjoyed this series! from Singapore

[@alejandrarmzg1]

Thanks a lot, Hi from Yucatán!

[@jackedson7854]

Another fabulous and brilliant explanation

[@jedandcats]

Thank you for this, the images and the insightful commentary.

[@labetbhachyrmang2948]

May God bless you Chloe

[@celesteaida48]

Beautiful explanation….eloquent

[@cynthiasparks6634]

brilliant , so interesting, thanks Chloe

[@rk100364]

That is quite a frame for The Entombment! I am guessing it was chosen after the fact, because of Michelangelo's importance, yes?

[@toddaulner5393]

Argued with my Mother about a painting I am doing, Salvator Mundi with luxurious hair and she said Jesus did not have long hair. I pointed out that In Jesus day and even 500 years ago, Christian Artists portrayed Heavenly or Holy People were almost always long haired.

[@MarieAdventure]

I will visit your museum one day.

[@patrickfitzgerald2861]

The aristocratic Chloë Reddaway is the true work of art here, with Mary Magdelene gazing at her smartphone (noted below) providing a bit of comic relief.

[@adhoc9647]

How one makes a presentation about art into a work of art itself . .

[@sebastianmelmoth685]

MORE!!!!!!!!

[@HeySergioMata]

Beautiful

[@janedoe5229]

It's clear to me how Christ is being supported in the Michelangelo. The two men on either side are supporting Christ seated on a cloth, and the man behind him is supporting his underarms. This is a very awkward way to carry a dead man, but it is a good way to reveal his body to the viewer.

[@mozdickson]

Francis Schaeffer would applaud this, and I do so now. Thank you.

[@billydyer2549]

A nice Christian art product can complement as well as add a sense of serenity and peace to a home

[@jesusjaramillo2975]

Amazing

[@brandonburrell8517]

Moving. Thank you.

[@patrickgleason2066]

Brilliant commentary, I never heard such an insightful analysis of religious art.

[@Pete-z6e]

That whistle brings dogs from miles around.

[@Spetet]

The NG has quite a few smart elegant women making their videos.

[@AA-ke5cu]

If you look above Christ on the blank wall nearing the top you can see a cloudy outline of a face. No doubt intended.

[@nelsonx5326]

Wow, you should analyze some of my unfinished paintings. When I don't finish a painting it is almost always because I lost interest in it. Or I was distracted big time and just never returned to it. At least one painting was over ambitious. My land lady bought it unfinished. I have some panels I started on, but left them to dry for a good while, and now I don't care about them. I have a landscape painting that looks finished, people and I like it very much the way it is. I intend to work on it more, but have been hesitant because it is so nice the way it is and I don't want to mess it up or over do it. That particular painting, not touched in 8 years, is in acrylic, but my intention is to finish it with egg tempera. I believe when finished it will be stunning. Might have to work it more with acrylics first, then oil paint before the egg tempera. Let me know if that order of paint application will be disastrous. It is the egg going on oil I'm worried about. Yes I looked it up. The answer should be simple enough, Van Eyck used egg tempera with oil paint and his paintings still look crisp 500 plus years later. I some how imagine the underpainting as egg, but I don't know. Somebody knows for sure. There is an article in the October/November issue of International Artist by a fellow named Helmut Ditsch who paints large landscapes on canvas in oil and egg tempera. On page 44 under the caption of the painting Delta, he states that he puts egg tempera on top of the final layer of oil paint. He says that he acquired this technique during his study at the Academy of FIne Arts in Vienna, Austria. Has anybody out there ever heard of doing this? It seems to me that it would violate the fat over lean rule for oil painting. I have tried sending this guy an email for clarification of his technique but no answer so far. All the other references to a mixed technique that I have found speak of using oil glazes over egg tempera underpainting. Egg tempera applied in small areas over wet oil paint is an old and tested procedure. I would never use ET in large areas over dried oil paint, especially on canvas, no matter what academy thinks it's a good idea. It's not.

[@giuseppapandolfo5408]

I assume it's not interesting for you but I recognized myself in your comment. Amazing! I also leave most of my oil paintings unfinisced: as soon as I have the presumption of perceiving the final result the enthusiam to start another one of greater audacity for my abilities, more ambitious, kidnaps me. I am familiar whit Ditsch's surprising large hyper-realistic paintings made whit mixed techniques: he probably uses acrylic colors (lean) for the larg complements and oil pants (greasy) for final details whit more fluid and brilliant shades. See "Cafayate" oil and acrilyc on canvas, 210x320cm, 2004. It's enough to observe and try.

[@janedoe5229]

The presenter is very beautiful, has a lovely, simple dress in a striking color, her hair is very nicely arranged. She has a pleasant speaking voice as well. This makes the presentation all the more enjoyable.

[@jayhallman6666]

Mary Magdalene is on her smartphone. 4:12

[@vinicius2uiciniv]

well spotted hahahaha

[@patrickfitzgerald2861]

🤣

[@deer563]

Lol

[@thesage1096]

how did they kno mary had to be there ?

[@mozdickson]

Excellent question, Dr Chloe?

[@wzsh31]

beautiful paintings and so the female curator, her voice. general speaking, the female curators of national Gallery are much better presenters, beautiful to see and to hear. that can't be said about their male colleges, am I a bit sexist. I am confused.

[@peteryu9866]

The message seems to be - just make a big deal out of everything - you don't need painting to do this - I can do this with a random rock I see on a walk - oh look this rock is facing the sun and its shadow forms an image of a mountain - perhaps this rock is saying that great things come from small beginnings - This video should be titled - How to be a con artist and create value out of anything to make a sale - No wonder some paintings sell for such huge amounts - besides money laundering - How to be a Con 'Artist' 101 - I think the focus should just be on the technique of the masters

[@hensonlaura]

Not a Christian myself, but I know that in the bible somewhere there is a statement about "pearls before swine". It means that a pig cannot see the beauty of a pearl.

[@random22026]

0:18 The audacity of this comment (also printed in the video description) beggars belief. 5:55 😃😃😄😄😅😅😂😂

[@KatelynMMM]

Damn she look so british

[@maximumsecurity9411]

Who is the white man? 👼🏽 This is the lie of British Art and History! The narrator speaks for Herself! 😳