Are the Traditional Depictions of Jesus based on Cesare Borgia?
1/14/2019
The accuracy of the modern depictions of Jesus Christ has been a subject of debate for ages. Many critics have offered their opinions, and some have outlived others. Amongst those opinions is the theory credited to Alexandre Dumas that the traditional depiction we have of Jesus is actually of Cesare Borgia.
Cesare Borgia was a cardinal and Spanish-Italian politician, but also the son of Pope Alexander VI. His ambition and rise to power inspired Machiavelli to create The Prince. It was also said that Borgia was at the center of another widespread piece of art, the portraits we have of Jesus. Allegedly, Pope Alexander VI commissioned Leonardo Da Vinci to create Jesus in the image of his son, Cesare. However, no evidence supports this claim.
Cesare Borgia was a cardinal and Spanish-Italian politician, but also the son of Pope Alexander VI. His ambition and rise to power inspired Machiavelli to create The Prince. It was also said that Borgia was at the center of another widespread piece of art, the portraits we have of Jesus. Allegedly, Pope Alexander VI commissioned Leonardo Da Vinci to create Jesus in the image of his son, Cesare. However, no evidence supports this claim.
The limited portraits we have of Borgia showcase straight, shoulder-length, dark hair and dark brown eyes. Both contemporary and modern images of Jesus differ displaying wavy, long, sandy reddish hair and eye colors that vary from blue to light brown.
Artworks of Jesus became popular because there was a significant need to further enhance the experience of individual and corporate worship. Therefore, images of Christ's life began to grace the walls and altarpieces of many, including The Lamentation of Christ and The Last Supper. Although there are claims that Jesus' physical appearance derived from the 1490s, those artworks both predate those claims. Ironically, there is also no specific painting referenced as the one for which Borgia sat as model for. In fact, the most common portrait of Cesare that we have is credited to Altobello Melone rather than Leonardo Da Vinci.
Of course artistic styles change throughout each century; however, the images of Jesus have generally been the same. While there are notable differences, there are also distinct consistencies. Just as many Renaissance Era artists painted Christ in their image, so did many African artists. The same is true for artists within other cultures as well. Different cultures have different interpretations of who He is. For African artwork, you will generally see Jesus depicted with African features. Within Asian culture, you will notice that there are Asian features. And so on.
While it is not wise to inaccurately create art of actual people, it is equally important to accurately portray historical figures as they were. Representation is important, and it matters. So if our modern depictions of The Christ were influenced by anyone, it does not seem to be by Cesare Borgia.
Conscious and Christian,
Simultaneously.
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