Church and Emperor: An Ethiopian Crucifixion
6 March – 5 May 2008
Room 3
Admission free
To celebrate the first Easter of the Ethiopian
millennium an extraordinary African painting of the Crucifixion of
Christ will be on display in Room 3. Ethiopia today is a country of
many faiths and cultures founded on an ancient kingdom established
at Aksum over two millennia ago. The Ethiopian church and state
uses a unique calendar, which is 7-8 years behind that, used by the
rest of the world. On the 12 September 2007 Ethiopians around the
world celebrated Enkutatash, New Year 2000 and the beginning of a
new millennium.
This remarkable painting comes from Tigre in
northern Ethiopia and was donated to the museum in 1893 by James
Theodore Bent. As an icon of one of the world’s oldest states, it
tell multiple stories – with layered meanings about Christianity
and the Ethiopian empire. The painting was made in the
mid ninteenth century for the Church of Medhane Alam, The
Saviour of the World at Adwa. It tells the life story of Abune
Selama, patriarch of the Ethiopian Church from 1841 to 1867 and a
key political and religious figure at the time. The Crucifixion
dominates the centre of the painting and is surrounded by eleven
smaller scenes; three relate to the Passion of Christ while eight
illustrate key moments in the life of Abune Selama. It is a
painting of great religious passion, glorifying Christ’s ultimate
sacrifice for mankind, a witness to the very moment of his death
and the fulfilment of biblical prophecy.
The Crucifixion of Christ follows many
traditional Ethiopian painting conventions both in style and
composition. The fundamental objective of a church art is to convey
the message of Holy Scripture and to inspire devotion. The
inclusion of historical narratives illustrates the way secular
aspects of life could permeate church painting, communicating
complex ideas of faith and history through image rather than word.
This particular painting, which layers the life of Christ above the
life story of a Christian Priest, offers a great insight into the
complex relationship between church and state and allows a greater
understanding of modern Ethiopian history. The painting has
recently been extensively conserved by the British Museum
conservators to help preserve it for future generations. In 2007
scientists carried out a full analysis of the painting
and discovered colours that have over time completely
disappeared. A reconstruction of the painting
with the original colours restored can be seen in the
exhibition.
As part of the British Museum’s celebration of
Ethiopian art and culture a short season of Ethiopian films will be
screened every Friday evening and gallery talks will run throughout
the period of the exhibition. On 3 May the Museum will host a day
of Ethiopian music, dance, art and culture with gallery talks and
workshops for all the family. Virtual tours on the Museum’s website
allow worldwide appreciation of Ethiopia’s rich heritage, while
projects with colleagues at the National Museum of Ethiopia and
with the Ethiopian community in London will continue the legacy of
this millennium celebration. There will also be a new temporary
display of Ethiopian paintings exploring themes of royalty and
everyday life will lead visitors into the Sainsbury Africa Gallery, where many of the
objects illustrated can be seen. Further permanent displays
in Gallery 66 celebrate the
diversity of Ethiopian culture and Ethiopia’s connection to Coptic
Egypt.
For further information or images please contact Katrina Whenham
on +44 (0)20 7323 8583 or kwhenham@britishmuseum.org