''Head of Christ'' is a painting in oil on panel by the

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...

painter Correggio, dated 1521. It depicts the head of

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...

, wearing the crown of thorns. In the background there is a white cloth showing that the image represents the

Veil of Veronica The Veil of Veronica, or (Latin for sweat-cloth), also known as the Vernicle and often called simply the Veronica, is a Christian relic consisting of a piece of cloth said to bear an image of the Holy Face of Jesus produced by other than human ...

, but Christ's head is given volume through alternate use of light and dark shadows. The painting is in the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, Los Angeles. Correggio was known for creating some of the most sumptuous religious paintings of the period. The Getty Museum considers this artwork as one of the masterpieces of painting held by the museum.

Painting

The

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...

is a small artwork, probably intended for private devotion, which depicts the head of Christ crowned with thorns, in half profile turning his head towards the viewer. Through the use of the alternate use of

light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 tera ...

and shade; the

chiaroscuro Chiaroscuro ( , ; ), in art, is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achi ...

technique is used by the artist to highlight the line of the nose, cheekbones and the neck. All this, however, is softened by the muted tones of the nuances he used when depicting the

color Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...

of the body. The strong shadows and the sculptural treatment of the head make this one of the most distinguishable representations on the Veil of Veronica. According to

legend A legend is a Folklore genre, genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human valu ...

, Christ stumbled on his way to

Golgotha Calvary ( la, Calvariae or ) or Golgotha ( grc-gre, Γολγοθᾶ, ''Golgothâ'') was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was said to have been crucified according to the canonical Gospels. Since at least the early mediev ...

carrying the cross. Veronica took off her own veil, and wiped his face with it. Christ's features were miraculously imprinted on the veil. In the early 1520s, Correggio was particularly interested in the study of the characters of the sacred history. Christ has his lips slightly parted, as if he would like to speak to the viewer. Correggio's bold reassessment of the theme filled the face of Christ an intense pathos. He looks at the viewers, as if to implore their mercy. According to

art historian Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...

John Shearman this kind of depiction is a typical example of a "transitive work", i.e. a work that requires the emotional participation of the viewer and that can only be completed through being in the physical presence of the image.Giuseppe Adani, Correggio pittore universale, Silvana Editoriale, Correggio 2007. (Italian)

References

Sources

*Shearman, ''Mannerism'', , Penguin Books, 1991

External links

*
Paintings at Getty.
{{Antonio da Correggio Religious paintings by Correggio 1521 paintings Paintings in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum Paintings depicting Jesus

Painting

See also

References

Sources

External links