We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.
The cookies that are categorised as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site....
Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.
Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.
“Christ Blessing”, Giovanni Bellini, c. 1500, Kimbell Art Museum, Forth Worth, Texas.
The Risen Christ raises his right hand in blessing. Behind him the sun has not yet risen. To the right, there are some figures visible in the distance. These are surely the women making their way to the tomb very early on the first day of the week. By the time the sun has risen they will have found the tomb empty. On the left, the bare tree with its lone bird is familiar from other paintings by Bellini. The tree represents the old order which is passing away. The church tower on right is a symbol of faith in the Risen Christ, the Eucharist, and, therefore of Christ’s sacrifice and presence with us. On the left just below his hand raised in blessing a shepherd watches his flock reminding us that Christ is the Good Shepherd. With his left hand Christ holds a staff. This is the staff on which the banner of the resurrection is unfurled. You can see the wound made by the nail in Christ’s raised hand and that made by the spear in his side. The The hand raised in blessing casts a shadow on Christ’s torso, giving visual testimony to the reality of his bodily resurrection. But what is extraordinary about this painting is the way the landscape and the figure of Christ co-exist in a delicate and beautiful harmony. Often resurrection scenes seem a bit awkward, but here, no element seems forced or contrived. Figure and landscape blend like a seamless garment. This is true to of the figure of Christ, who is fully human and fully divine. A contemporary poet commenting about a figure of Christ by different artist, wrote that had it been painted by Bellini, it would’ve been “much more human and more divine”. Bellini sets before us a figure of the Risen Christ in which humanity, divinity and the whole creation co-exist beautifully. Bellini evokes the truth of the incarnation and the resurrection, the beauty of the Risen Christ’s gentle presence in our world, and reminds us, that the Risen Christ will always with us and his blessing will always be upon us.
The Catholic Chaplaincy serves the students and staff of the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University and Queen Margaret University.
The Catholic Chaplaincy is also a parish of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh (the Parish of St Albert the Great) and all Catholic students and staff are automatically members of this parish.
Follow us for news updates and inspiration. Website design by Colour Rich
St Albert's Catholic Chaplaincy is part of the English Province of the Order of Preachers, a charity registered in England and Wales (231192) and in Scotland (SC039062).