The Orange Christ

A leader of the group known as Nabis (Hebrew for "Prophets"), Maurice Denis rejected naturalism and materialism in favor of expressing idealistic, spiritual emotions. He wrote: "Art is no longer a visual sensation that we gather, like a photograph, as it were, of nature. No, it is a creation of our spirit, for which nature is only the occasion." Deeply religious, Denis sought to convey strong emotion through intense colors and powerfully condensed forms, thereby achieving a new union of modern and sacred art.

Credit: Nancy F. and Joseph P. Keithley Collection Gift