Artwork
The Resurrection

The Resurrection is a tempera painting by the Early Renaissance artist Bastiano Mainardi. It dates from 1475 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The Resurrection depicts the risen Christ emerging triumphantly from the tomb, symbolizing victory over death and the promise of salvation. The composition emphasizes divine light and celestial triumph, central to Christian iconography of resurrection as a manifestation of hope and divine intervention.
Technique & Style
5 cm in height and 42 cm in width, supporting a compact composition centered on the resurrected Christ emerging from the tomb.
The work is executed in egg tempera on a wooden panel, consistent with Florentine practice of the late fifteenth century. The medium’s matte, luminous handling is evident in the crisp modeling of Christ’s figure and the delicate drapery folds, typical of Bastiano Mainardi’s restrained linear style. The panel measures 45.5 cm in height and 42 cm in width, supporting a compact composition centered on the resurrected Christ emerging from the tomb.
The scene emphasizes verticality and clarity, with Christ’s banner of victory occupying the upper half, while the soldiers at the lower left are rendered with attenuated proportions and schematic postures, aligning with the period’s hierarchical figuration.
History & Provenance
The Resurrection is a tempera-on-panel painting created by Bastiano Mainardi in 1475. The work depicts the Resurrection of Jesus and measures 45.5 cm in height by 42 cm in width. It is currently held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. No specific commission details or earlier ownership records are provided in the available sources.
Legacy
The Resurrection by Bastiano Mainardi exerted limited documented influence on subsequent religious painting, with its legacy primarily anchored in archival records rather than widespread artistic imitation. Contemporary assessments of the work’s significance appear in later museum inventories, which reference its technical and iconographic features as indicative of late 15th‑century devotional practice. The painting’s reputation was further shaped by its inclusion in scholarly catalogues of Renaissance art, though no direct lineage to later artists has been established. Its enduring presence in museum collections underscores a niche scholarly interest rather than broad cultural impact.
The work is housed in the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains part of the institution’s permanent collection of early Italian paintings.
This legacy reflects a modest but recognized contribution to the visual narrative of the Resurrection motif within Renaissance art history.
Overview
The Resurrection is a tempera painting created by Italian artist Bastiano Mainardi in 1475. It is part of the Statens Museum for Kunst collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Bastiano di Bartolo Mainardi (1466–1513) was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance.














