Dead Christ (Palmezzano)
Encyclopedia
The Dead Christ Held by Two Angels is a painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Marco Palmezzano
, finished in 1510. It is housed in the Musée du Louvre of Paris
, France
.
The centre of the scene is occupied by the dead figure of Christ, portrayed with great attention to anatomical details, but also with evident religious piety; the brightness of his body is further enhanced by the dark stone, resembling a black cave, depicted in the background. This contrast can also have the allegorical meaning of Jesus leaving sin and death behind his shoulders. Jesus assumes in this way the evangelic role of proclamation of the end of the dark era of humanity, as also remembered by the presence of the two angels.
The work is influenced by those Giovanni Bellini
, which Palmezzano saw in his sojourn in Venice
in 1489-1495.
Marco Palmezzano
Marco Palmezzano was an Italian painter and architect, belonging to the Forlì painting school, who painted in a style recalling earlier Northern Renaissance models, and was mostly active near Forlì.-Biography:...
, finished in 1510. It is housed in the Musée du Louvre of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
The centre of the scene is occupied by the dead figure of Christ, portrayed with great attention to anatomical details, but also with evident religious piety; the brightness of his body is further enhanced by the dark stone, resembling a black cave, depicted in the background. This contrast can also have the allegorical meaning of Jesus leaving sin and death behind his shoulders. Jesus assumes in this way the evangelic role of proclamation of the end of the dark era of humanity, as also remembered by the presence of the two angels.
The work is influenced by those Giovanni Bellini
Giovanni Bellini
Giovanni Bellini was an Italian Renaissance painter, probably the best known of the Bellini family of Venetian painters. His father was Jacopo Bellini, his brother was Gentile Bellini, and his brother-in-law was Andrea Mantegna. He is considered to have revolutionized Venetian painting, moving it...
, which Palmezzano saw in his sojourn in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
in 1489-1495.