Cross  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

Triumph of Christianity by Tommaso Laureti (1530-1602), ceiling painting in the Sala di Constantino, Vatican Palace. Images like this one celebrate the destruction of ancient pagan culture and the victory of Christianity.

Triumph of Death (1562) by Brueghel

Toulouse-Lautrec wearing Jane Avril's Feathered Hat and Boa (ca. 1892), photo Maurice Guibert

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A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally.

The cross is one of the most ancient human symbols, and has been used by many religions, most notably Christianity. It is frequently a representation of the division of the world into four elements (Chevalier, 1997) or cardinal points, or alternately as the union of the concepts of divinity, the vertical line, and the world, the horizontal line (Koch, 1955).

See also

• Crucifixion
• Mix
• Cross-dressing
• Cross-breeding
• Cross-cultural
• Cross-disciplinary
• Cross-genre
• Crossover (music)