Lamentation of Christ c. 1490s
hansschnatterpeck
minneapolisinstituteofart
relief, sculpture, wood
portrait
medieval
narrative-art
sculpture
gothic
relief
figuration
sculpture
wood
gothic
This late 15th-century polychromed and gilded wood sculpture, created by Hans Schnatterpeck, depicts the Lamentation of Christ. The scene portrays the moment when Christ's body is removed from the cross and mourned by his followers. The artist’s masterful use of detail, realistic expressions, and dramatic composition conveys a sense of sorrow and grief, emphasizing the emotional weight of the event. The artwork is a powerful example of German Late Gothic sculpture and is currently held in the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Comments
The lifeless body of Jesus Christ, taken off the cross after his crucifixion, rests in his mother Mary’s lap. John the Evangelist holds his head. Mary Magdalene, with an ointment jar, looks at his feet—according to the Gospel of Saint John, she had once anointed Jesus’s feet with expensive perfume. The angular folds and gestures in this painting, as well as the bold colors, are typical of late Gothic wood sculpture and greatly influenced the Expressionist artists of the early 20th century. This sculpture is remarkable for its large amount of original coloring.
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