Dead Christ with the Virgin, St. John, and an Angel c. 1508 - 1513

Curator: This intricate plaquette presents the Dead Christ with the Virgin, St. John, and an Angel, crafted by Moderno, also known as Galeazzo Mondella, in the late 15th or early 16th century. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by how intimate it feels, despite the grand subject. It’s like holding a moment of immense sorrow right in the palm of your hand. Curator: The small scale invites contemplation on themes of mortality, grief, and faith. As a plaquette, this artwork likely functioned as a devotional object for private worship. Editor: It's powerful how Moderno captures the raw emotion, the weight of loss in such a tiny space. I can almost feel the coldness of the metal mirroring the chill of death. Curator: Absolutely. The composition—the arrangement of figures huddled together—emphasizes a shared experience of suffering. We can reflect on the systemic ways that such images of grief have functioned throughout patriarchal European history. Editor: That perspective sheds a critical light on the work, I agree. It leaves you with a lot to think about. Curator: Indeed.