77 - GIACOMO DEL PO’ (Palermo, 1654 – Naples, 1726) Attributed to

GIACOMO DEL PO’ (Palermo, 1654 – Naples, 1726) Attributed to Our Lady of Sorrows with Christ Taken Down from the Cross Oil on panel, 47.5 x 27.5 cm Fair condition, with slight signs of aging in some areas of the painted surface A fine religious painting, attributable to the figurative tradition of the Italian Baroque between the 17th and 18th centuries, executed on panel with remarkable painterly quality and intense emotional expression. The composition depicts the Sorrowful Virgin holding the lifeless body of Christ, who has just been taken down from the Cross, assisted by an angel in the foreground. The scene is steeped in a dramatic atmosphere marked by strong chiaroscuro, in which the light—skillfully modulated—emerges from the darkness of the background and focuses attention on the main figures. The compositional structure, with a pyramidal arrangement, is built around the vigorous body of Christ, whose anatomical rendering—combined with the monumentality of the figures and the theatricality of their gestures—reveals full adherence to the conventions of Baroque culture. The marked contrast between areas of light and shadow accentuates the scene’s poignant dimension and helps create an intense emotional impact. Stylistically, the work follows in the tradition of the Roman and Neapolitan Baroque, with references that can be traced to the circle and influence of painters such as Giacinto Brandi (Rome, 1621–1691), particularly admired for the emotional power of his sacred compositions, and above all Giacomo del Po (Palermo, 1654–Naples, 1726), whose artistic language the work seems to draw upon most clearly.