Artwork
Descente de Croix (Descent from the Cross)
Descente de Croix (Descent from the Cross) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist François-Philippe Charpentier. It dates from 1762 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:recto: in plate, in image, at lower left: Carle Vanloo; in plate, below image, at left: Carlo Vanloo delineavit; in plate, below image, at right: Charpentier Sculpsit; in plate, below image, at center: Descent de Croix / A Paris chés Basan; verso: at lower right, in graphite: A. Bressolle / F.T.
About this work
Overview
Descente de Croix (Descent from the Cross) is a print created by François-Philippe Charpentier around 1762. It is an etching and aquatint printed in brown on laid paper.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts the removal of a lifeless body from a cross, surrounded by mourning figures in loose robes. A ladder and a slumping soldier are also present, set against a backdrop of rough stone and a dark sky.
Technique & Style
Charpentier employed etching and aquatint techniques to achieve deep shadows and dramatic lines, drawing the viewer's attention to the central figure. The brown tones contribute to a sense of heaviness and urgency.
History & Provenance
Charpentier, a French engraver and inventor born in 1734, was trained in Paris. He later developed mechanical techniques for aquatint engraving, reflecting his expertise in contemporary printmaking methods.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
François-Philippe Charpentier (b. Blois, 1734; d. there 22 July 1817) was a French engraver and inventor. His father was a bookbinder, a poor man who reportedly made many sacrifices so that his son might attend the…
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