Why a photograph of a crucifix in urine became a lightning rod for controversy

Art · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Andres Serrano’s 1987 photograph Immersion (Piss Christ) depicts a plastic crucifix submerged in the artist’s own urine. While critics decried it as blasphemous, Serrano, a lifelong Catholic, maintains it is a serious exploration of the physical reality of the crucifixion. The work remains one of the most polarizing images in contemporary art.

The 60-by-40-inch Cibachrome print features a small crucifix suspended in a glowing, rosy liquid filled with tiny bubbles. Without the title or the artist’s disclosure, the medium is visually indistinguishable from amber or polyurethane. Serrano created the piece as part of a series involving classical statuettes submerged in various fluids, including milk and blood, following his 1985 work Blood Cross. He argues the image reflects the visceral, bodily nature of Christ’s death, suggesting that if the work causes offense, it may be because it forces viewers to confront the harsh reality of the crucifixion.

The work ignited a massive firestorm in 1989, particularly among U.S. politicians like Al D’Amato and Jesse Helms, who were outraged that the National Endowment for the Arts had provided Serrano with $5,000 in 1986 and that the artist received $15,000 for the piece. The controversy led to death threats against the artist and gallery staff, vandalism of prints in France and Australia, and even a reduction in the NEA’s budget. Critics argued the funding violated the separation of church and state, while supporters defended the work as a matter of artistic freedom.

Despite the intense backlash, the work has garnered nuanced interpretations. Art critic Lucy R. Lippard praised its formal beauty, describing it as monumental and ominous. Sister Wendy Beckett, a Catholic nun and art historian, suggested it might be a sincere, if imperfect, attempt to encourage reverence for the Crucifix. In 2023, the dialogue shifted significantly when Pope Francis invited Serrano to the Sistine Chapel, blessing the artist and affirming the church's commitment to engaging with art that challenges consciousness. Today, the photograph continues to circulate in major collections, including the Museu de l'Art Prohibit in Barcelona.

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