Spanish school; 17th century.

Spanish school; XVII century.
"Christ".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
It has frame of the eighteenth century.
Measurements: 50 x 36 cm; 58 x 45 cm (frame).
The image shows Christ nailed to the cross, at the culminating moment of the crucifixion. His body, thin and elongated, falls to one side in a gesture of contained suffering, while the head, crowned with thorns, leans towards his right shoulder, marking an instant of resignation and sacrifice. The dark background accentuates the introspective and dramatic character of the scene, isolating the divine figure and focusing all attention on his presence.
The body of Christ appears idealized but not exempt from a painful humanity: the lacerations, sweat and blood are carefully worked, without reaching the naturalistic excess, which denotes an intention to evoke compassion rather than horror. At the foot of the cross, a skull recalls Golgotha, the "place of the skull", and at the same time acts as a memento mori, recalling the inevitable death of man and the redemption achieved through Christ's sacrifice.
Above the cross is the inscription "INRI", abbreviation of "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum", in Latin, Hebrew and Greek, which also underlines the universal character of the Christian redemption.
The crucifixion is one of the most treated themes in Western Christian art. During the 17th century, in the midst of the Counter-Reformation, the representation of the suffering Christ was strongly used as a tool for devotion and spiritual reflection. The Council of Trent had defended the use of art as a way to teach, move and move the believer towards piety. This image embodies that spirit: it is not merely narrative, but emotionally involving, an invitation to meditation and recollection.