Stories of Christ's Passion 1447

Andrea del Castagno painted this fresco, Stories of Christ’s Passion, sometime in the mid-fifteenth century. The subject of Christ's Passion was popular throughout Italy, commissioned by wealthy families for display in monastic institutions and churches. Del Castagno uses color and light to create drama. The angels seem to weep at the crucifixion, while Christ rises triumphantly in a blaze of light. This fresco would have been a visual tool for religious devotion, reinforcing the importance of the Church at a time when its authority was often challenged. It also served as an advertisement for the patron's wealth and piety, while perhaps serving as a reminder of the divine order to those who would challenge that wealth. Understanding this art requires an appreciation of the complex interplay between religious belief, social structures, and economic forces. We can understand the image better through research into the history of religious art and the patronage system in Renaissance Italy.