Jesus and the women of Jerusalem
- Artist: Bruce Onobrakpeya
- Date: 1969
- Medium: Linocut on paper
- Dimensions: image: 245 x 581 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is "Jesus and the Women of Jerusalem" by Nigerian artist Bruce Onobrakpeya. It comes from a 1969 linocut series that retells the Stations of the Cross in a distinctly African setting. In this panel, the women of Jerusalem are shown in the moment after Jesus’ death, their faces softened by the soft blues and greens that dominate the work, with accents of yellow and orange hinting at the crucifixion’s heat. The apostles wear richly patterned Adire cloth, a nod to local Yoruba textile traditions, while those restraining Jesus seem to don colonial‑era police uniforms—a subtle commentary on power and control. The composition is layered with geometric shapes, echoing traditional Nigerian architecture and weaving patterns that frame the cross. The print is one of fourteen in the series, each capturing a different episode from Jesus’ final days, and it reflects Onobrakpeya’s effort to blend Christian iconography with Nigerian cultural motifs after the country’s independence.
See it in person
Jesus and the women of Jerusalem is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
