Body of Christ, held by angels

Francesco Trevisani painted this religious work in 1707, depicting the Body of Christ being borne by angels. It belongs to his mature period, characterized by a blend of Roman Baroque dynamism and Venetian coloristic sensibility, reflecting the transitional style of early 18th-century Roman painting. The composition shows Christ’s limp, lifeless body suspended among cherubic angels, a theme tied to devotional meditation on the Passion.

Trevisani, active in Rome and later in Vienna, synthesized the dramatic naturalism of artists like Carlo Maratta with a lighter, more ethereal palette, positioning him within the Roman school’s evolving narrative tradition. The work is part of the permanent collection at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where it remains on display.

Created in 1707 by the Italian painter Francesco Trevisani, Body of Christ, held by angels is an oil painting now part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s collection. Executed during the transition from the high Baroque to the early Rococo, the work presents a solemn religious scene in which the lifeless figure of Christ is supported by four celestial beings.

Trevisani employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, allowing a soft, luminous glow to illuminate the flesh and drapery against a deep, muted background. The delicate handling of light creates a subtle modelling of forms, while the figures are rendered with the refined, balanced composition typical of the late Baroque, hinting at the emerging Rococo elegance in the gentle poses and flowing garments.