Christ in the Realm of the Dead

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Artist: Joakim Skovgaard (Danish, 1856–1933)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 351.5 × 489 cm
Museum: SMK – National Gallery of Denmark
Rights: Public Domain Mark

After the crucifixion Christ descends into the realm of the dead to release the lost souls. With Adam and Eve at the vanguard, the dead reach out towards the lightbringer, who treads the symbols of death underfoot. Skovgaard was inspired by Grundtvig’s retelling (1837) of Caedmon’s Old English poem about the storm on Hell: “Tonight a Knock was Heard at the Gates of Hell”.

Skovgaard regarded art as a calling and believed the fine arts should work for God and Christianity. In a personal testimony he insists on Christ as an almighty and vital force still capable of fighting titanic battles for mankind’s sake. Employing the pathos of history painting and simple, decorative lines Skovgaard creates a genuinely compelling image, demonstrating how figure painting can still feel relevant.