Christ’s resurrection three days after his death is one of the pivotal events of Christian doctrine. This event is not described in the Gospels but is indirectly confirmed during Christ’s subsequent apparitions to his disciples.
The iconography of the Resurrection developed later, in the Middle Ages, to meet the peoples’ devotional need of making this mystery visible.
In the painting, based on a highly effective theatrical variant, Christ resurrected in a burst of clouds is invested by light and floats above the sepulchre, holding the white banner. Below, two angels open the empty tomb, while the terrified guards flee.