Lamentation Over The Dead Christ (Botticelli, Munich)
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The ''Lamentation over the Dead Christ'' is a painting created by
Sandro Botticelli Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), better known as Sandro Botticelli ( ; ) or simply known as Botticelli, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 1 ...
. Botticelli was an Italian painter who was active in Florence, Italy and his works represent the late Italian Gothic and Renaissance periods. Some of his notable works include '' Primavera'' and ''
The Birth of Venus ''The Birth of Venus'' ( ) is a painting by the Italian artist Sandro Botticelli, probably executed in the mid-1480s. It depicts the goddess Venus (mythology), Venus arriving at the shore after her birth, when she had emerged from the sea ful ...
''. Botticelli was the apprentice of
Filippo Lippi Filippo Lippi ( – 8 October 1469), also known as Lippo Lippi, was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Quattrocento (fifteenth century) and a Carmelite priest. He was an early Renaissance master of a painting workshop, who taught many paint ...
one of the leading Florentine painters of the time. In 1481, Botticelli completed some works for the
Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel ( ; ; ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the pope's official residence in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), it takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who had it built between 1473 and ...
; during the 1480s, he also completed works depicting mythological subjects. Botticelli became associated with the
Florentine School Florentine painting or the Florentine school refers to artists in, from, or influenced by the naturalistic style developed in Florence in the 14th century, largely through the efforts of Giotto di Bondone, and in the 15th century the leading s ...
under the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici an era historians characterize as a golden age. The painter also completed portraits and manuscripts. The Lamentation of Christ is part of the cycle of the Life of Christ. After Jesus was crucified his remains were removed from the cross and his friends mourned over his body. One specific type of Lamentation depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the body of Christ; popularly known as the Pietà (Italian for "pity"). The subject of the
Lamentation of Christ The Lamentation of Christ is a very common subject in Christian art from the High Middle Ages to the Baroque. After Crucifixion of Jesus, Jesus was crucified, his Descent from the Cross, body was removed from the cross and his friends mourned over ...
has been painted since the inception of Christianity and it was a common subject of
Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...
painters. Botticelli completed another version entitled '' Lamentation over the Dead Christ'' between 1490 and 1495. The current painting was completed around the same period between 1490 and 1492. It is now in the
Alte Pinakothek The Alte Pinakothek (, ''Old Pinakothek'') is an art museum located in the Kunstareal area in Munich, Germany. It is one of the oldest galleries in the world and houses a significant collection of Old Master paintings. The name Alte (Old) Pin ...
, in
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
. The portrait shows the inert body of
Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...
surrounded by the
Virgin Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...
, St. Peter, and
Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...
, St. John the Evangelist,
St. Jerome Jerome (; ; ; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was an early Christian priest, confessor, theologian, translator, and historian; he is commonly known as Saint Jerome. He is best known for his translation of the Bible ...
and
St. Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...
. The sad expressions of the characters were a novelty in Botticelli's art: under the spiritual influence of
Savonarola Savonarola is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Girolamo Savonarola (1452–1498), Italian Dominican friar and reformer * Michele Savonarola (1385–), Italian physician, humanist and historian {{Surname, 2=Italian-la ...
's preachings in
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
, which began around the time the work was executed, he started in fact to abandon the allegoric inspiration that had made him a favorite of the Medici court in favor of more intimate and painstaking religious reflection.


See also

*
List of works by Sandro Botticelli The following is a list of Panel painting, panel paintings, works on canvas and Fresco, frescoes by the List of Italian painters, Italian painter Sandro Botticelli.Barbara Deimling. ''Botticelli.'' Taschen. Cologne 2007. His drawings, such as thos ...
* ''Lamentation over the Dead Christ'' in Milan.


References


Bibliography

* * *


External links


Page at artonline.it
1490s paintings Collection of the Alte Pinakothek
Botticelli Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), better known as Sandro Botticelli ( ; ) or simply known as Botticelli, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 1 ...
Paintings of the Virgin Mary Paintings by Sandro Botticelli Paintings about death Christian art about death Paintings of Mary Magdalene Paintings of Saint Peter {{15C-painting-stub