51 - GIACINTO BRANDI (Poli 1621 – Rome 1691)

GIACINTO BRANDI (Poli 1621 – Rome 1691) Lamentation over the Dead Christ (The Pietà) Oil on canvas. The painting can easily be attributed to this important exponent of the Roman Baroque, although it warrants a thorough reevaluation following a skillful restoration. A distinctive feature of the painter’s style is the marked contrast between the figures, which emerge vigorously from a dark background that seems almost to merge into the shadows—a style also influenced by his stays in and contacts with the Neapolitan school (particularly Mattia Preti) and by the work of his master, Giovanni Lanfranco. The body of Jesus Christ displays powerful and sharply defined musculature, typical of Brandi’s male figures. The contrasts between the shaded areas and the highlights on the torso emphasize the physical drama of death. His gaze, turned spasmodically upward, and the theatrical gesture of his hand perfectly capture the rhetorical expression of emotion characteristic of the Roman Baroque. The small angels at the top and the weeping cherub at Christ’s feet (who dramatically clutches Jesus’ feet with a cloth) frequently appear in the artist’s sacred compositions to heighten the viewer’s emotional engagement. At the bottom, a scroll bearing the inscription “INRI” stands out—detached from the cross and resting on the ground—a realistic and dramatic iconographic element used by the painter in several of his depictions of the Passion. 300 x 196 cm.