Lamentation c. 1505 - 1507

Editor: Andrea Solario's "Lamentation," painted in oil around 1505-1507, depicts the grief surrounding Christ’s death. I’m struck by the landscape behind them – such a serene backdrop for such profound sorrow. How do you interpret this contrast, and the work, generally? Curator: The placid landscape *is* an interesting counterpoint, isn't it? Almost like a memory of Eden juxtaposed with humanity’s capacity for, well, *this*. Solario places profound intimacy within a vast historical narrative, as if to whisper, “Look how small we are, how fragile.” The High Renaissance was so keen on embedding meaning within beauty, don't you think? Editor: I can see that. Is the composition itself meaningful? Everyone's carefully positioned, almost like a choreographed expression of grief. Curator: Exactly! Solario’s using what’s sometimes referred to as a pyramidal composition, where the figures are arranged in a triangular form, drawing the eye towards Christ at its base and culminating toward a spiritual, almost transcendental, feeling, that pulls us beyond their immediate sorrow to a place of divine consequence. What do *you* feel as you look at it? Editor: I mostly see sadness, but also, maybe, a glimmer of hope in the careful, almost reverent way the figures support Jesus. Like they know this isn’t the end? Curator: That’s wonderfully put. Perhaps Solario is hinting at resurrection? Remember, the Renaissance was all about the rediscovery of classical ideas... infused into very Christian narratives. Editor: That’s something to think about: how old and new ideas play out through the whole composition! Thanks. Curator: Indeed! And I, you, for helping me rediscover my first impressions of it through your curiosity and reflections!