''Salvator Mundi'' (''
Jesus Christ, Saviour of the World'') is a
religious painting by
Italian Renaissance artist
Palma Vecchio, dated to 1518-1522. It is on display in the
Musée des Beaux-Arts of
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
, France. Its inventory number is 585.
The painting was bought in 1898 by
Wilhelm von Bode, from a collection in
Padua belonging to the estate of the
Giustiniani and
Barbarigo families. It had long been believed to be a work by
Giorgione, and the first attribution to Palma was published in 1875 by .
Bernard Berenson, and some other 20th-century art historians, disputed it, but it has been universally accepted since the 1992 publication of the
monograph
A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject.
In library cataloging, ''monograph ...
by Philip Rylands.
The pose and the face of Jesus Christ are reminiscent of the slightly earlier ''Portrait of a Poet'', now in the
National Gallery.
He is holding a transparent
globe, almost invisible to the naked eye, and sitting in front of a green curtain opening on a landscape. This
devotional work, executed in the manner of
Venetian
Venetian often means from or related to:
* Venice, a city in Italy
* Veneto, a region of Italy
* Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area
Venetian and the like may also refer to:
* Venetian language, a Romance language s ...
portrait painting
Portrait Painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to represent a specific human subject. The term 'portrait painting' can also describe the actual painted portrait. Portraitists may create their work by commission, for public and pr ...
, was very popular in its day; six copies or variations have survived (
National Museum, Wrocław;
Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston; etc.).
References
External links
''Salvator Mundi'', presentation on the museum's website
{{Authority control
Paintings by Palma Vecchio
Paintings in the collection of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Strasbourg
1520s paintings
Renaissance paintings
Paintings depicting Jesus
Oil paintings