The Raising of the Cross

The Raising of the Cross by Rembrandt is a deeply moving piece of art to consider, especially at Easter season. Rembrandt paints himself in the scene as one of the soldiers, revealing his own sense of responsibility in the crucifixion of Christ. Although there are countless paintings depicting the crucifixion, no artist before this time (1633) made the scene personal in the way Rembrandt does. This painting is meaningful to discuss in a Sunday School class or homeschool art class, and adds visual import to the reading of the scriptural passages during holy week.
As a hands-on project, students can paint or sketch their own crucifixion scene and place themselves in it as Rembrandt did.