The Unrepentant Thief on the Cross, Study of a Child's Head at Lower Left, and of an Ear at Lower Right Border 1510 - 1561

Battista Franco rendered "The Unrepentant Thief on the Cross, Study of a Child's Head at Lower Left, and of an Ear at Lower Right Border" in ink on paper. The artwork is from a period where religion was deeply woven into the fabric of daily life. Franco, living in the 16th century, would have experienced the height of the Renaissance, as well as the stirrings of the Reformation. The crucifixion was frequently depicted, but here we have the unrepentant thief, not the idealized Christ. The positioning of the thief on the cross, half-draped, allows us to see the body, and the artist's deep understanding of musculature. This representation differs from many depictions of its time because it focuses on the physical form, and appears to be a study for a larger work rather than devotional material. The studies of the child's head and ear suggest an interest in the details of human anatomy, indicative of the Renaissance pursuit of knowledge. The piece invites us to meditate on the boundaries between the sacred and the profane, challenging viewers to reconsider their own understanding.