The Crucifixion with the Converted Centurion by Lucas Cranach the Elder
(c.1536)
National Gallery of Art ๐จ
#ArtHistory #AnimalsInArt #Renaissance #religion #Christianity #MuseumArchive #glam #ArtMuseum #catholicism
this post was submitted on 01 Jun 2026
38 points (95.2% liked)
Traditional Art
7081 readers
248 users here now
This is a community dedicated to showcasing all types of traditional medium art.
Traditional means a physical medium. This includes acrylic, pastel, encaustic, gouache, oil and watercolor paintings; Ink illustrations; Pencil and charcoal sketches; Etchings; Lithographs; Wood prints; pottery; ceramics; metal, Wire and paper sculptures; Tapestry; Weaving; Quilting; Wood carvings, Armor Crafting and more.
It EXCLUDES digital art: anything made with Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, Krita, Blender, GIMP or other art programs, or AI art.
RULES
1- Do not post Digital or AI art.
2- NSFW content is allowed but it must be tagged.
3 - Extreme NSFW content like gore, graphic imagery, fetishistic works and straight up porn is not allowed.
3- [Change as of 4/12/2026] Posts may be art images, or articles about traditional art. Article posts MUST be tagged [ARTICLE].
4 - The post title should contain the title of the artwork or the name of the artist or ideally both if available. If there is further information about the artwork you want to convey, do it in the body of the post or in the comments.
5 - You can post your own art but keep in mind not to spam. An [OC] tag in the title of your post is recommended.
6 - Avoid extraneous objects and post only the art.
7 - Be civil to other community members.
8 - Keep on the topic of art in the comments. Extreme tangents or arguments will be removed.
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Most people at the time knew that in the past and elsewhere, clothes and armor were different. If nothing else, even the uneducated had heard stories from the Bible that detail the kinds of clothes people wore, and anyone educated enough to be painting for a living or illustrating manuscripts would have studied older artwork including some from the Romans. The difference is that they considered historical accuracy much less relevant than relating to their audience, so they presented subjects in the clothes that would immediately and obviously portray their station. The artist of the Morgan Leaf from the Winchester Bible would have seen changes in arms and armor over his lifetime, and he would have known that the people in these scenes from the life of David would not have looked like 11th-century natives as portrayed:
Once they understood the difference, they would have considered it odd that we don't portray 11th-century knights in Kevlar kneeling before a king in a tailored suit, though they would also have deplored the disgrace caused by the plainness in which our kings dress.