1. Lead me to the Cross – With your Paintbursh
By Barbara Krajenke
My eyes welled with tears as I absorbed the James Tissotʼs exhibit, The Life of
Christ. Tissot was obviously inspired when he created this magnificent collection.
Scenes of the Bible and Christ have been painted before, but this exhibit is
different – with images so powerful, it triggered a revival in Paris when it first
opened in 1894.
What struck me the most was the personal quality Tissot gave to the characters
of the paintings. The detail to which he expressed the characters made me feel
as if I understood what they were experiencing. I was engaged in the in the
scenes he created. Tissotʼs vivid depictions allowed my imagination to reign. I
was drawn in. I was a part of the creation. I was a participant.
Tissotʼs concept was to represent the life and times of Christ in the most accurate
style. The attention to detail is astonishing; these works in watercolor were a
labor of love.

2. Tissot, through collection wanted to,“Pull off the veil of false stylization and false
idealization. To connect the viewer to a underlying spirituality,” said Jeff Harrison,
Chief Curator of the Chrysler Museum of Art.
The collection is presented in a narrative format. The paintings are designed to
portray the life of Jesus as chronological series, depicting the infancy and youth
of Christ through the resurrection, melding the natural and supernatural in the
same space. The collection includes paintings of a birdʼs eye view perspective as
well as close ups of characters, similar to a photographic style collection.
The unique perspectives and attention to detail are breathtaking. What Our Lord
Saw from the Cross is an excellent example of Tissotʼs unique perspective and
breathtaking attention to detail. The painting is seen from Christʼs eyes, looking
down on the crowd of those who loved, hated and crucified him. Seeing them
with a heart of compassion and forgiveness.
Jesus Looking Through the Lattice is an example of Tissotʼs great artistry to
detail and ability to capture the personality of character. The painting represents
the Song of Songs. Jesus gazing at the viewer, as a present entity.
The landscape and characters portrayed in The Magi Journeying, resemble an
accurate scene, a life and death journey of the three wise men through the vast
desert to give homage to the Christ Child.
Tissot traveled twice to the Holy Land and spent time in Syria, Egypt and
Palestine. His purpose was to experience the environment and culture Christ
would have lived. Tissotʼs goal was to stay true to the culture, landscape and a
Semitic Jesus rather than an idealized Western version.
Tissot felt that he had a divine commission to create this work. After experiencing
the exhibit, I believe him. Tissot had a supernatural encounter in a Parisian
church where he saw a vision of Christ as the Comforter, with his arms wrapped
around the homeless people of Paris.
Previously, Tissot was an artist of materialism, painting the grand dames of
Parisian and London society. After a tragic loss of his love, Kathleen Newton, he
became involved in mysticism. This quest for the supernatural led him back to the
faith of his youth, Catholicism.
“He transformed from the material to the spiritual,” said Harrison.
Tissotsʼs Life of Christ is a must–see experience.

3. “[I am] amazed at his artistry and his ability to paint again and again an inherit
moment in a diminished format. The scale is miraculous,” said Harrison.