55 - ITALIAN SCHOOL, late 16th century.

ITALIAN SCHOOL, late 16th century. CHRIST of the Crucifixion. Wooden figure of the Crucified Christ with his head tilted to the right. H: 45 cm (signs of wear, traces of whitewash, insect exit holes; crown of thorns likely missing) Expert: Lacroix-Jeannest. Private collection, France. Expert’s Note: Beginning in the Renaissance, depictions of Christ’s body shifted toward idealization while still maintaining anatomical realism, moving away from the “suffering” images of the late Gothic period.Here, Christ is depicted just as he has breathed his last: His eyes are almost half-closed, his abdomen is slightly distended, and his side bears the wound left by Longinus’s spear—yet he shows no sign of suffering or despair. Yet, according to the Bible, he has just addressed his Father (Psalm 21). The powerful musculature of the body, particularly visible in the abdomen; the very upright and relaxed posture of the body, with the legs and feet parallel; and finally the short perizonium with its subdued folds—all these details contribute to a serene depiction of the Corpus Christi, ultimately serving more as a foreshadowing of the Resurrection than as a testament to the Passion. Christ no longer appears dead, but asleep. Through all these details, our sculptor has assimilated the successive lessons of the Florentine school since the Quattrocento, following in the footsteps of Donatello (1386–1466) and then Michelangelo (1475–1564).