Italian school of the XVII century

Italian school of the XVII century.
"Christ Crucified".
Christ in gilded bronze. Period cross in tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl. Mounts in bronze.
Back base.
Measurements: 19 x 15 cm; 68 x 35 cm (Cross).
This work shows the viewer a great example of the coexistence between art and craftsmanship. The author does not leave any detail to chance and pays the same attention to the workmanship of Christ's body as to the tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl of the cross. The contrast between the gold and the tortoiseshell color of the cross brings an expressive dimension to the piece that connects with the viewer, showing values such as subtlety, elegance and richness, associated with religion and the tradition represented by the crucifixion. The figure of Christ on the cross already came from the Romanesque period, in which there were two types: the colobium (living Christ, dressed in a tunic) and the perizonium (dressed in a cloth of purity). In the Gothic period the colobium disappears definitively, and Christ will always be represented dressed in a purity cloth, nailed to the cross with three or four nails. In the Romanesque it always appeared with four nails, but in the Gothic it will be more and more frequent the model of three nails, with only one for the feet, as we see here. As the Gothic period progressed, the purity cloth became shorter, until the knees were uncovered, and the anatomical treatment became more and more naturalistic. The one presented here shows a realistic intention in the treatment of the body, thin and slender, although pathos is avoided in its representation.