What did Jesus look like? Reclaiming Jesus the Jew in art and religious education

Jesus’ appearance is not recorded in the New Testament, apart from some incidental mentions of his clothing. Nevertheless, his appearance is the most recorded feature in the history of world art. None of these images is based on primary sources; most, especially the most popular and influential images, tend to portray Jesus in the guise of a European Christian and not as an observant Jewish male of the first century CE. This distortion in artistic representations of Jesus reinforces mis-cast understandings provided in Christian pious traditions and Christian scholarly discussions throughout the centuries. This article explores the development of artistic presentations of Jesus of Nazareth. It uses the concept of kitsch art to analyse and evaluate the meanings conveyed in popular artistic representations of Jesus. A discussion of educational responses assists religious educators in designing programs that can critically appraise portrayals of Jesus and help students understand the role of art in fostering positive relations between Jews and Christians.