Details

LOT 0422

Carved Marble Recumbent Christ

17TH-18TH CENTURY A.D.

19 x 10 in. (25.35 kg, 48.5 x 25.5 cm).

Figure of Christ lying on a rectangular panel, dressed in a loincloth and with the hammer, nail and pliers of the crucifixion left at his side with the crown of thorns; stacked cushions beneath his head, winding sheet draped over his lower body.

Provenance

Private collection, England.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12307-215653.

Literature

Cf. Spinosa, N. (ed.), Napoli Sacra, Guida alle chiese della Citta', Napoli,1993, p.8, 'Dead Christ' in the Napoli Cathedral (17th century A.D.); Albright, T., 'The Veiled Christ of Cappella Sansevero: On Art, Vision and Reality' in Leonardo, Volume 46, Issue 1, February 2013.

Footnotes

The ecclesiastical statuary of the late Baroque and early Rococo periods focused heavily on the theme of the passion of Christ, with statues representing the sleeping Jesus, with the symbols of the passion next to him. The position of our sculpture is particularly reminiscent of the marvellous statue of the 'Veiled Christ' by Giuseppe Sammartino, a masterpiece of 18th century religious sculpture. The anatomy of the limbs is realistic, and the instruments of passion, placed at the feet of Christ, create a narrative, also visible in the folds of the veil that covers half of the body.