Jesus falls the third time
- Artist: Bruce Onobrakpeya
- Date: 1969
- Medium: Linocut on paper
- Dimensions: image: 246 x 585 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
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About this artwork
This is the “Jesus Falls the Third Time” by Bruce Onobrakpeya, a linocut from 1969. It belongs to a series of fourteen prints called The Fourteen Stations of the Cross, each capturing a moment from Jesus’ last days but set against a distinctly Nigerian backdrop. Notice the apostles in vibrant Adire patterns, while those restraining Jesus wear colonial‑era police uniforms – a visual dialogue between faith and the politics of the time. The colour palette is muted blue and green, with yellow and orange highlights that echo traditional Nigerian textiles and architecture. Geometry underpins the composition, with shapes spilling onto the crosses that dominate many panels. Onobrakpeya, who grew up in a Christian Nigeria and lived through the late colonial era, used this work to explore the intersection of Catholic theology and Yoruba visual culture, challenging European iconography and celebrating indigenous artistry. This print, like its companions, invites viewers to see the familiar in a new cultural light.
See it in person
Jesus falls the third time 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.
