When we talk about the 10 controversial depictions of Jesus, we’re diving into a world where art, politics, and faith collide in ways that can both inspire and outrage. Below, we walk through ten pieces that have set off fiery debates, legal battles, and even riots, all because an artist chose to portray the central figure of Christianity in a way that challenged the status quo.
10 The Black Christ
In 1962, South African painter Ronald Harrison unveiled a work inside Cape Town’s St. Luke’s Church that would become a flashpoint in the anti‑apartheid struggle. The canvas, later dubbed The Black Christ, replaced the crucified Jesus with Albert Lutuli, the ANC leader and 1960 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Flanking him as Roman tormentors were Hendrik Verwoerd—the architect of apartheid—and his justice minister, John Vorster. By casting the freedom fighter in the role of the crucified savior, Harrison forced viewers to confront the moral hypocrisy of a government that claimed Christian values while oppressing an entire race.
Security forces, alarmed by the painting’s incendiary message, confiscated it and smuggled it out of South Africa, where it toured Europe before settling in the United Kingdom until 1997. While the artwork was out of reach, Harrison endured a seven‑day torture session after his arrest. He later defended his approach, asking, “How could a self‑professed Christian regime commit such immoral acts against its own people simply because they are of a different colour and creed?” When the piece resurfaced in 2007, it again provoked fierce backlash.
9 Ecce Homo
Trafalgar Square, a grand symbol of Britain’s imperial past, is dominated by lions, a towering Nelson column, and a series of statues commemorating empire‑builders. Yet one plinth remained empty—until 1999, when artist Mark Wallinger was commissioned to fill it with a sculpture of Jesus. Titled Ecce Homo (Latin for “Behold the Man”), the piece presented a modest‑sized, bound figure of Christ facing an imagined crowd just before his crucifixion.
The reaction was immediate and polarized. Critics argued that the statue’s modest 183 cm height made Jesus appear weak and vulnerable among the grandiose surroundings. One onlooker dismissed it as “a kitten‑like, lily‑livered, Anglican Jesus.” Even Sir Roy Strong, former director of the National Portrait Gallery, declared the work “glaringly inappropriate” for the square’s historic theme. Nevertheless, many visitors found the piece moving, and it later found a home in St. Paul’s Cathedral.
8 Jerry Springer—The Opera
The notorious tabloid talk‑show The Jerry Springer Show inspired a comic opera that dared to place Jesus, Mary, and God alongside the flamboyant host himself. The opera follows Springer as he attempts to mediate the battle between good and evil, even descending into Hell to restore balance. The mere notion of pairing the sacred with the sensational sparked immediate outrage, especially when the actor playing Jesus in the third act also appeared as a baby‑dressed character in the opening act.Despite winning several awards during its initial UK run, the production quickly became the target of protests. The BBC’s decision to broadcast the opera in 2005 ignited a storm of 55,000 complaints, legal challenges, and even a private prosecution against the corporation’s head—though the case was ultimately dismissed.
7 Last Supper
In 1989, Swedish photographer Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin launched a series called “Ecumenical,” re‑imagining biblical scenes with contemporary LGBTQ+ subjects. The centerpiece, a re‑creation of the Last Supper, featured Jesus—dressed in high heels—seated with transgender and cross‑dressing disciples, while a separate “pietà” image showed Mary cradling a Jesus who had succumbed to AIDS in a hospital bed.
These striking images were displayed in Uppsala Cathedral and other Scandinavian churches, instantly provoking fierce criticism. While some praised the work as a compassionate statement for society’s marginalized, many religious groups could not look beyond the unconventional casting. Ohlson Wallin received death threats, and several galleries that attempted to exhibit the series faced intimidation and protest.
6 One Nation Under God
The American principle of separating church and state has long been a contentious topic, and artist Jon McNaughton’s 2014 painting One Nation Under God dove straight into that debate. The canvas depicts a glorified Jesus clutching the U.S. Constitution, flanked by historic American figures. At Jesus’s feet sit hopeful symbols—mothers, teachers, children, and farmers—while to his left stand a menacing group featuring Supreme Court judges, a journalist, a Hollywood archetype, and a professor brandishing Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species, all accompanied by a devilish Satan.
The work instantly became fodder for satire, with many mocking the overtly political message and pointing out that founding fathers like Thomas Jefferson were skeptical of organized religion. Parody versions proliferated online, underscoring the painting’s polarizing impact.
5 The Last Temptation Of Christ
Martin Scorsese’s 1988 film The Last Temptation of Christ ignited a firestorm upon its release. The movie portrayed a very human Jesus who wrestles with temptation, collaborates with Romans in the crucifixion of Jews, and experiences lustful thoughts—elements that many believers found blasphemous. Major cinema chains across the United States refused to screen the film, and protests erupted in New York, with demonstrators brandishing signs reading “Blasphemy” and “It’s Only a Movie.”
Several countries banned the film for years, and it remains prohibited in the Philippines and Singapore. In France, theaters showing the movie were attacked; the most severe incident occurred at Paris’s Saint‑Michel cinema, where an incendiary device caused a fire that injured 13 people, four seriously. The cinema stayed closed for years for repairs, and other violent episodes were reported at French screenings.
4 A Fire In My Belly
Video art rarely makes headlines, yet David Wojnarowicz’s 2010 piece A Fire in My Belly became a national flashpoint in the United States. The work was part of a Smithsonian exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery and lasted 13 minutes, but a brief segment showing a crucifix swarmed by ants sparked an uproar. Catholic League spokesperson William Donahue labeled the piece hate speech against Christians, prompting several right‑wing members of Congress to demand its removal.
Under pressure, the Smithsonian withdrew the artwork, prompting a massive backlash from the art community. Many artists in the show protested the decision, and the censorship attempt inadvertently catapulted the once‑obscure video into worldwide fame.
3 Ecce Mono
Not every controversy stems from a deliberate provocation. In 2012, a fresco of Jesus in the small church of Borja, Spain, became an internet sensation after a well‑meaning parishioner, 81‑year‑old Cecilia Giménez, attempted a restoration. The original painting by Elias Garcia Martinez had been flaking for decades; Giménez’s over‑zealous touch turned the solemn figure into a comically distorted “monkey‑like” visage. Police initially suspected vandalism, but the image quickly spread online, earning the nickname “Ecce Mono” (Latin for “Behold the Monkey”).
Giménez claimed the priest was aware of her efforts. The botched restoration sparked a tourism boom: the church began charging admission, and local businesses sold branded souvenirs, turning a mishap into a lucrative attraction.
2 Alexamenos Graffito
Depicting Jesus in an unflattering manner is not a modern invention. The earliest known pictorial mockery of the crucifixion appears on a plaster fragment unearthed on Rome’s Palatine Hill. The inscription reads “Alexamenos worships his god,” accompanied by a crude drawing of a man kneeling before a crucified figure whose head is that of a donkey.
Archaeologists date the Alexamenos graffito to around AD 200. The donkey‑headed Christ was likely intended as a Roman insult, mocking the absurdity of worshiping a man nailed to a cross. Contemporary Roman writers, such as Fronto, echoed this sentiment, calling Christianity a foolish religion that worshiped a crucified man and “the head of an ass.”
1 Piss Christ
What happens when a crucifix meets a photographer’s urine? Andres Serrano’s 1987 photograph Immersion (Piss Christ) did exactly that, submerging a small plastic crucifix in a jar of his own urine, giving the image a yellowish tint. The provocative work fetched $277,000 at auction and instantly became a lightning rod for controversy.
Senator Jesse Helms condemned the piece, calling Serrano “a jerk,” while French protestors vandalized a 2011 exhibition with hammers. Serrano defended his intent, arguing that the crucifix is often treated like a fashion accessory, but its true meaning—Christ’s crucifixion, including the bodily functions he endured—should provoke reflection. He said, “If Piss Christ upsets you, maybe it’s a good thing to think about what happened on the cross.”