INRI

In 1968, Eronen was commissioned to design the Crucifix for Järvenpää Church, a concrete building conceived in the brutalist style that was then dominant in Europe. Eronen was given full artistic freedom, and he carved the wooden crucifix, including the traditional inscription ‘INRI’, with his bare hands, leaving visible traces of each stroke of the chisel in the wood.

The crucified Christ gazes upwards and to the left, towards to the heaven and the skies. Typically, in religious art, the crucifix describes Christ’s agony, and Jesus is often shown as a skeletal figure, suffering or hanging lifeless on the cross. In this masterpiece Eronen shows us a young man in his prime, who has accepted his destiny. Cruel though that destiny is, he looks up trustingly to the heavens, to God. One of the key concepts in Eronen’s art is precisely that: trust.

As a small child, Eronen had a vision that would bring him comfort for the rest of his life. One summer night he woke up, scared of the lighting, and felt the stare of a floating male figure that held his hands out protectively, as though in blessing. The vision calmed the little boy, who said to himself there was nothing to fear, and fell asleep again. For years to come, when faced with difficult situations, he would recall this vision and find peace once again.

When designing the figure of Christ, Eronen imagined the moment of the crucifixion, but was comforted by the same feeling of tranquillity and faith. This was also the feeling he wanted the crucifix to convey. Christ’s right index finger is pointed towards to the congregation. This detail crystallises the message of the Bible:

‘For your sake’.

The altar crucifix is ​​from Douglas and has a height of about five meters.

About the artwork

Theme(s): Religion
Material(s): Douglas pine, Wood
Object type(s): Wall object

Details

Exhibit Number: 36
Date: 1969
Height: 500 cm

Location

Back to the gallery

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