Jesus Christ, Aries in Red #25

RaphaelRAPHAEL was born and died on Good Friday (1483-1520). Almost invariably, his Christs and Madonnas are robed in red. According to Matthew the soldiers put a scarlet robe on the bleeding Christ. He is often conjectured to have been an Aries; the December date is a late borrowing from an ancient Roman festival. He was, if not born, more importantly, reborn at the Passover time. The stark echo of womb and tomb, the perpetually tragic Mother and Son, the sacrificed lamb of God, the cult of sacred suffering and sacred Paschal blood, the barbaric cannibalism repeated in the Eucharist, are colors from the paint pot of Aries, the emblem of origins.

 Raphael

Anthony Van Dyck

Comments

[Joseph Stone]

Interesting, but the color red is associated with Mars, not Aries. Just because Aries sounds like Ares does not mean the sign is the same as the ruling planet. I associate Aries with the color white, which Christ also wore a lot. Of course, everyone knows he was really a Pisces.