The Dead Christ with Angels

The Dead Christ with Angels is an 1864 oil painting by French painter Édouard Manet. The painting depicts the biblical story (John 20:12) of Mary Magdalene entering the tomb of Jesus and seeing two angels but finding Jesus's body missing. It is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Manet seldom chose to paint images with religious meaning, and he tended to focus on contemporary subjects. John Hunisak speculates that Manet may have wanted to display a religious work in the 1864 Salon because of the negative reaction he had received for his recent paintings of modern subjects. Manet may have hoped, Hunisak suggests, that the more traditional topic, with a contemporary twist, would please his supporters and critics alike. Description This work sparked controversy and confusion among viewers due to certain stylistic choices Manet made in representing the story. Most notably, Manet shows the two angels with the body of the dead Christ still visible. The Bible verses referenced describe the angels dressed in white, however Manet's choice was to depict them dressed in bright red and orange colors. Vladimir Gurewich suggests that this decision was most likely meant to heighten the drama of the scene.