Empty Tomb and Lily Christian Wall Art

What is painted

A small tomb is cut into a mound of pale rock, with feathery green plants growing over its top. The round stone that closed it has been rolled to the right and leans against the rock face. Inside, on a low stone shelf, lies a folded white cloth with one end hanging down.

To the left, a tall Easter lily rises from the rocks, one flower wide open and several buds still closed, its long leaves bending outward. Stepping stones lead up to the entrance. The whole thing is painted small and centered, in sand, cream and sage, with a lot of empty paper around it. There is no lettering.

Who shall roll us away the stone?

Mark tells the story from the women's side. Very early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome come with spices to anoint the body. On the way they ask each other, “Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?” When they look, the stone is rolled away, and Mark adds: for it was very great.

Inside they find a young man in a long white garment, who tells them not to be afraid: “Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here.” They are to tell his disciples, and Peter by name, that he goes before them into Galilee.

The white lily is not in the Gospel account; it came later, as a traditional flower of Easter, blooming out of a bulb that looks dead in the ground. Jesus himself pointed to lilies in the Sermon on the Mount: “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow.”

For Easter and all year

This Easter wall art is small in feeling and easy to place: on a mantel, in a hallway, in a kitchen or a guest room. It makes a thoughtful Easter gift, a gift for a baptism celebrated at the Easter vigil, and a gentle sympathy present, since it speaks of hope beyond the grave.

As Christian wall art it is quiet enough to leave up long after the holiday. Each Christian poster is printed to order in the US on thick archival matte paper and shipped free within the US, with no frame and a generous paper margin around the tomb. Choose a size from 5x7 to 24x36, a metric or A size, or a digital file.