Angel Holding the Body of Christ was a work of art created by Greek painter

Nikolaos Kallergis Nikolaos Kallergis ( el, Νικόλαος Καλλέργης, 1699 – 1747), also known as Kalergis. He was a Greek painter during the Greek Rococo and the Modern Greek Enlightenment in art also known as Neo-Hellenikos Diafotismos. His ar ...

. Kallergis was born in Zakynthos. His family was originally from Crete. His father was a painter. Nikolaos was active from 1715–1747. He was a representative of the Heptanese School. His family owned a church on the island of Zakynthos and a massive library. The family was educated. According to the Institute of Neohellenic Research, thirty-two of his painting’s survived. An integral part of the

iconostasis In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis ( gr, εἰκονοστάσιον) is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a Church (building), church. ''Iconostasis'' also refers to a portable icon stand t ...

are the royal doors. Sometimes the

can have three or more doors. The royal doors are closed during important parts of the service. The priest is the only individual allowed to enter the sacred doors. They lead to the sanctuary or holy table. The area behind the

is the secret place where the priest prepares the holy

eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

. The royal doors were remnants of the destroyed Church of Panagia Tsourouflis. The theme Angel holding the body of Christ has been reproduced by countless Greek, Italian and Flemish painters. It is part of the passion sequence. Notable versions were completed by Flemish artists

Bartholomeus Spranger Bartholomeus Spranger or Bartholomaeus SprangerBartholomeus Spranger
at the

and

Jacob de Backer Jacob de Backer (c. 1555 – c. 1591) was a Flemish Mannerist painter and draughtsman active in Antwerp between about 1571 and 1585. Even though he died young at the age of 30, the artist was very prolific and an extensive body of work has been a ...

. Hendrick Goltzius was a notable Dutch engraver that adopted a version of Spranger's work. Venetian engraver Giuseppe Scolari also printed his own version of the theme. Kallergi's work is a mixture of the different works. Flemish engravings and paintings heavily influenced artists of the Heptanese School. Kallergis created several works emulating engravings. Kallergis produced several works representing the passion series. Three similar parts of royal doors were completed by Kallergis. An angel carrying a column was painted on one of the doors. The column symbolized the pole Jesus was flogged on during the passion series. On another door, he painted an angel carrying

whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

s. The

s symbolized the instruments used to whip Jesus before the crucifixion during the passion series. The third royal door contained the ''Angel Holding the Body of Christ''. The Heptanese School continued to evolve since its inception during the middle part of the 17 century. The style adopted by Kallergis became an integral part of the artistic advancement of the period. Many artists of the Heptanese School painted similar works. The work is part of the collection of the Zakinthos Museum in Greece. Many of Kallergi's works are at this location.

Description

The royal door was made of tempera paint and wood. The work of art features a superlative decorative motif reminiscent of the Rococo style. The angel's flesh tone compared to Jesus's distinguishes the two figures. The pale dead martyr's body rests in the arms of the sullen angel. The work of art is a mixture of Spranger and

Backer Backer is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Agathe Backer-Grøndahl (1847–1907), Norwegian pianist and composer * Augustin de Backer (1809–1873), Roman Catholic bibliographer * Brad Backer (born 1956), Australian rugby lea ...

's masterpieces. The artwork mostly resembles Hendrick Goltzius's engraving. The Heptanese School featured musculature and advanced anatomical interpretation in art. Many artists began to feature more refined subjects with more detail. The human body was realistically presented. Kallergis painted Jesus's biceps and triceps. His

abdominal muscle The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso. ...

was represented with careful detail. His work resembled realistic anatomical models. The holy shroud features striations to suggest folds of fabric. The artist employed an advanced light and shadow method. Both figures are statuesque. The poses of the figures suggest a grieving event wrought with sorrow and horror. The postures and gestures of both divine beings emit melancholy and sadness. The artist clearly pictorially relays the emotion of the grieving event. The angel gazes at the heavens awaiting instructions.

Gallery

Notable works

File:Hendrick Goltzius, after Bartholomaeus Spranger, The Body of Christ Supported by Angels, 1587, NGA 153963.jpg, Dead Christ Supported by an Angel, Goltzius File:The Dead Christ Supported by an Angel MET DP228764.jpg, Dead Christ Supported by an Angel, Scolari File:Bartholomeus Spranger - The Body of Christ Supported by Angels (ca. 1587).jpg, Dead Christ Supported by an Angel, Spranger File:Angel Holding the Body of Christ Jacob de Backer.png, Angel Holding the Body of Christ,

Royal Doors

File:Angel Holding Whips Nikolaos Kallergis.png, Angel Carry Symbol of Passion (Whip) Kallergis File:Nikolaos Kallergis Angel.png, Angel Carry Symbol of Passion (Column) Kallergis

References

Bibliography

* {{Heptanese School (painting) 18th-century paintings Paintings in Greece Paintings of the Heptanese school