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An anonymous painter from the 14th century, sometimes called Master of the Vyssi Brod, painted the scene at right of the Resurrection on an altar piece in the Cistercian monastery of Vyssi Brod in Southern Bohemia. It is a tempera painting on wood and is one of the most significant works of Czech religious art from the medieval period. The artist depicts the resurrection of Christ with the details of the Middle Ages.
After his death on the Cross, Christ was buried in a tomb hallowed from an abandoned rock quarry.
However, in this painting, Christ stands above a medieval marble sarcophagus with elaborate decoration. The Resurrection is the power of God over the grave in every age.
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| Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli |
The top of the sarcophagus is flung aside. The soldiers fall at the feet of Jesus. God is bursting the bonds of death.
On the ground in front of the tomb, the guards clutch their weapons, trembling at what has happened. No human power can thwart God’s will to share with us his divine life in His only-begotten Son.
Above the open grave, the Risen Lord stands triumphant, bearing the standard of the Cross. The Cross is the victory over all hatred and injustice that lead to violence and to death.
To the right of Christ, the angel shows the three women the burial clothes left behind. The Risen Lord is now clothed in the glory of God. He is no longer tied down to time and place. Christ belongs to all ages and to all times.
The women are amazed by the angel’s words. They receive the good news that Jesus has been raised. They believe. We receive the gospel of the Resurrection by listening to the preaching of the Church. We, too, believe. Faith comes from hearing.
As the women leave the tomb, they meet the Risen Lord. Faith leads to vision. Faith opens our eyes to the Risen Lord who leads us by the Holy Spirit to the Father.
May Christ Jesus who has been raised from the dead fill your hearts with joy and your lives with hope.
