relief, sculpture, wood
portrait
medieval
narrative-art
sculpture
gothic
relief
figuration
sculpture
wood
gothic
Dimensions: 23 1/8 x 42 1/4 x 9 1/2 in. (58.74 x 107.32 x 24.13 cm) (approx.)
Copyright: Public Domain
Hans Schnatterpeck carved this Lamentation of Christ in the late 15th or early 16th century. The sculpture depicts the dead Christ surrounded by mourners. Observe the figure of Mary, cradling her son. This echoes ancient images of mourning goddesses. The gesture of cradling the body, a potent symbol of grief, stretches back to antiquity. Think of the Egyptian Isis mourning Osiris. The Lamentation is a key part of the "Andachtsbilder," devotional images designed to evoke empathetic responses. They aim to stir our deepest feelings, and connect us to the eternal cycle of death and renewal. This image reminds us that symbols carry emotional weight, their power enduring through time, and evolving with each retelling.
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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