Every Work of Art Tells a Story

“Every work of art tells a story” – A.D. Posey

Here are a collection of famous Holy Week paintings that, we hope, will inspire you to draw your own stories this Easter weekend.

Art and culture have been richly tied to religion and stories passed from generation to generation. What kind of stories are you trying to tell with your artwork?

1. Last Supper

Location: Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy.

By Leonardo da Vinci – High-resolution scan by http://www.haltadefinizione.com/ in collaboration with the Italian ministry of culture. Scan details, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3032252

2. The Agony in The Garden

Location: National Gallery, London, UK

By Giovanni Bellini. Image provided by the National Gallery

3. The Taking of Christ

Location: National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

By Caravaggio - Self-scanned, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15219530

4. Christ Taken Before Caiaphas

Location: Cleveland Museum of Art

By Rembrandt. Image provided by the Cleveland Museum of Art

5. Peter’s Denial

Location: The Museum of National History, Frederiksborg, Denmark

By Carl Bloch, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

6. Ecco Homo

Location: Gallery of Modern Art, Florence

By Antonio Ciseri, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

7. Christ Carrying the Cross

Location: The Met, New York

By El Greco - Web Gallery of Art: Image Info about artwork, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4830763

8. Raising of the Cross

Location: Louvre, Paris

By Peter Paul Rubens - http://www.lukasweb.be/nl/foto/de-kruisoprichting, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45964619

9. The Crucifixion

Location: Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow

By Salvador Dali - www.dali-gallery.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6012054

10. Resurrection of Christ

Location: São Paulo Museum of Art, Brazil

By Raphael - www.masp.art.br, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2183170