Image of Christ

The race and appearance of Jesus has been a topic of discussion. Much artwork has represented Jesus as Caucasian.  Here, Jesus is depicted as black in this work by artist, Vincent Barzoni, to show that the Messiah is not to be considered necessarily Caucasian. In fact, he can be considered African American. 

The religious pieces of Barzoni, and especially this work, have been widely admired. The cross shows various images of the life of Christ. In the center is the crucifixion, while below is the Last Supper, above is Christ’s birth, and the sides show Christ’s journey and sharing the word of God. Portraying Jesus as African American reveals that God can be thought of as black as much as he can be thought of as white. It suggests that Jesus is essentially colorless. It is a reminder that Jesus in Christian theology is the Messiah for all mankind, regardless of race or gender.

Some have argued over the question of Jesus’ race. Arguments range from claims that he is Aryan to a black African. In light of the fact that those at the Last Supper in this work are also black, the piece may be suggesting that Jesus appears to each man in his/her particular image. This would reflect the understanding that Jesus was created in man’s image. Since man has different appearances, the image of Jesus changes for each person. It reflects that concern over the appearance or race of Jesus is unimportant and loses sight of the message that the life of Jesus on earth was to bring salvation to all of mankind.     –Greta Jaye