Artwork
Christ as the Man of Sorrows
Christ as the Man of Sorrows is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Antonio de Pereda. It dates from 1641 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Jesus Christ as the Man of Sorrows, a devotional subject showing the dead or dying Christ with his head bowed and displaying the wounds of the Passion. The figure is typically presented frontally or slightly turned, emphasizing his suffering and sacrifice, and is often accompanied by the instruments of the Passion such as the cross, crown of thorns, and nails. In Pereda’s 1641 composition, the figure’s emaciated form and somber expression underscore themes of atonement and redemption central to Counter-Reformation iconography, inviting contemplation on Christ’s sacrifice for humanity’s salvation.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas in 1641, the work measures 97 cm in height and 78 cm in width.
Executed in oil on canvas in 1641, the work measures 97 cm in height and 78 cm in width. Pereda renders the half-length figure of Christ with subdued, earth-toned modeling to articulate wounds and folds of drapery, emphasizing quiet sorrow rather than dramatic pathos. The handling is restrained, with fine, blended transitions in the flesh and a looser, visible brushwork in the crimson mantle that contrasts against the muted background.
The composition’s formal structure centers on Christ’s frontal torso, directing attention to stigmata and the sorrowful gaze, while the subdued palette and diffused lighting contribute to a meditative, contemplative tone.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1641, the work is firmly dated by the artist’s inscription on the painting itself.
It entered the Spanish royal collections and was later transferred to the Museo de la Trinidad when that institution was founded in 1835. Upon the dissolution of the Museo de la Trinidad in 1872, the painting was absorbed into the holdings of the Museo del Prado, where it remains today.
The painting Christ as the Man of Sorrows by Antonio de Pereda is currently held at the Museo del Prado in Madrid. It was formerly part of the collection of the Museo de la Trinidad before its transfer to the Prado. The work was created in 1641 and is cataloged within the museum's holdings as an oil on canvas religious painting depicting Jesus Christ as the Man of Sorrows. No specific accession number or exhibition history is provided in the available records.
Overview
Antonio de Pereda’s 1641 oil painting Christ as the Man of Sorrows presents a solitary figure of Jesus in a stark, dark setting. The composition centers on the suffering Christ, whose downcast gaze and somber expression convey a mood of contemplation and grief. The work is part of the Prado Museum’s collection in Madrid.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Antonio de Pereda y Salgado (c. 1611 – January 30, 1678) was a Spanish Baroque-era painter, best known for his still lifes.
