The Renaissance shifted monster depiction from bodily deformity to facial expression in Passion art.

Evidence

Another way that the presentation of Jewish and Muslim monsters altered during the Renaissance involved artistic skill. Instead of relying on purple or black skin, canine heads, or pig faces to represent monstrosity, the portrayal of facial expressions became popular. The production of Passion plays and the publication of Renaissance writings on the Passion influenced the graphic representations on the canvas, seen in the torment on Christ’s face as well as the sinister and grotesque faces of the villains, who were often Jews and Muslims. During the Renaissance, Jews and Muslims continued to be presented as a related enemy that helped to constitute European identity—“the shadow of an ageless ghost.” — Sophia Rose Arjana, Muslims in the Western Imagination, 246

Categorization

• QUESTION: Why did Passion plays and writings cause this shift from physical deformity to facial expression? What changed in theological or artistic context?