1 / 9
Live
Premium Italian School. 17th century. 'Pietà. The dead Jesus rests i…
Italian School. 17th century. 'Pietà. The dead Jesus rests i…
Lot no. 36
Description
Italian School. 17th century.
'Pietà. The dead Jesus rests in the arms of his mother'
Oil on panel.
33 x 44 cm.
This exquisite and delicate work, despite the existing dirt, depicts the dead Christ resting in the arms of his mother, who weeps inconsolably with her gaze lifted toward heaven, accompanied by angels. This panel painting is based on an engraving by Lucas Vosterman, which in turn was inspired by a canvas by the Dutch painter Anton van Dyck.
Christ, with his arms open and the bluish pallor of death, lies lacerated and bruised from the scourging he endured, resting on his mother’s lap. The author of this work pays special attention to the white cloth on which Jesus is laid, demonstrating great skill in conveying its weight and texture, its warmth contrasting with the extracted nails cast before him, a reflection of the suffering he endured and realistically showing the pain his body had to bear, “as if we were present.”
Expressions of affliction on the faces convey heightened drama and intensity, reflecting the emotional force characteristic of seventeenth-century Counter-Reformation art in Flanders, Italy, and Spain.
The suffering of the Mother of God and her relationship with her Son has been a frequently depicted theme in both Western and Eastern painting.
This early Baroque work, despite the drama of the scene in which a grieving mother holds her dead son on her knees, conveys peace and serenity, recalling the atmosphere of Annibale Carracci. The angels accompanying Mary, reminiscent of figures from a Neapolitan nativity, are painted in warmer tones, as if coming from a different world.
The sense of sadness in the scene arises not only from the emotions expressed on Mary’s face but also from the weight of the dark tones surrounding the figures and the black clouds in the sky.
A very similar and later work from the eighteenth century, comparable to the one presented in this auction, can be seen in a canvas currently housed in the City Hall of Seville, as well as another in the Vienna Museum of Art, and the masterful version by Charles Le Brun in the Louvre Museum.
Provenance:
- Private collection. Barcelona. From mid 20th century.
Pictures credits:
Contact organization
Delivery methods
You may also like