Ways to discover the collection

Cross and crucifix

For a long time, Christians were hesitant to depict the shameful execution of their god. Since Emperor Constantine, the figureless cross had been used as a sign of victory; in the collection of the Museum Schnütgen, traces of this can still be seen in the luminous rock crystal crosses. Renderings of the crucifixion only date back to the 5th century. The oldest surviving crucifixes originated in the 10th century; one such example is the Gero Cross in Cologne Cathedral. Two striking early works, the Neuerburg Crucifix and the Torso from St. George, are on exhibit at the Museum Schnütgen. Contemporary artists faced the challenge of portraying two disparate aspects in one and the same figure: Christ who died as a mortal but, as God, had the power to overcome death. Over the course of the centuries, greater emphasis was either placed on the aspect of suffering and death or on the power and vitality of the figure. From the Early Middle Ages to the Baroque period, however, the figure on the cross usually united both of these contradictory aspects.