Who painted Beweinung Christi und seine Grablegung?

Beweinung Christi und seine Grablegung was painted by Master of Messkirch in 1537.

Where can I see Beweinung Christi und seine Grablegung?

Beweinung Christi und seine Grablegung is held by Gemäldegalerie Berlin.

What movement is Beweinung Christi und seine Grablegung?

Beweinung Christi und seine Grablegung is associated with Mannerism.

Beweinung Christi und seine Grablegung by Master of Messkirch (1537)

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The subject matter aligns with the traditional Christian narrative of the Passion, specifically the moments immediately preceding the interment in the tomb.

The painting depicts the Lamentation of Christ and the Entombment of Christ, focusing on the figure of Jesus Christ following his crucifixion. As a work of religious art created in 1537, the composition centers on the mourning of the dead body of Jesus and his preparation for burial. The subject matter aligns with the traditional Christian narrative of the Passion, specifically the moments immediately preceding the interment in the tomb.

The depiction serves to visualize the sorrow of the followers and the physical reality of Christ's death as core elements of the devotional image.

Technique & Style

Beweinung Christi und seine Grablegung is executed in paint on a fir panel, a support typical of South German panel painting of the period. The work is relatively small in scale, measuring 62.7 cm in height by 67.5 cm in width. Its subject matter combines the Lamentation of Christ with the Entombment of Christ, rendered as a religious devotional image.

Beyond the identification of the medium as paint on fir panel and these basic physical parameters, the available sources do not provide further detail on handling, condition, or specific stylistic characteristics.

History & Provenance

The painting was created in 1537 by the Master of Messkirch for Johann Baptist von Hirscher, a prominent patron who commissioned the work. It remained in the Hirscher family collection before being acquired by Gustav Abel, later entering the Bode Museum's holdings. The work entered the Gemäldegalerie Berlin collection and has been displayed at St Martin within the museum. The piece depicts the Lamentation of Christ and entombment of Christ, rendered in paint on fir panel.

The artwork measures 62.7 cm in height and 67.5 cm in width.

The painting is held in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, specifically in the St Martin section of the museum. According to Wikidata, it entered the museum’s collection from the Hirscher and Abel collections, with former owners listed as Johann Baptist von Hirscher, Gustav Abel, and the Bode Museum. The sources do not provide an inventory or accession number for the work, nor do they record any exhibition history. Further details about its provenance are not documented in the provided sources.

Context

Critical reception of the Beweinung Christi und seine Grablegung has centered on its emotional intensity and devotional function within Counter-Reformation art. Scholars highlight the Master of Messkirch's synthesis of Grünewald's expressive modeling and Cranach's compositional clarity to heighten the Lamentation's narrative immediacy. The work is situated within the artist's oeuvre as a pivotal example of Swabian Renaissance religious painting, reflecting both local devotional practices and wider Central European artistic exchanges. Its placement in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin underscores its significance within institutional collections of German Renaissance art.

Overview

Beweinung Christi und seine Grablegung is a 1537 religious painting by Master of Messkirch, depicting two concurrent scenes from the Passion of Christ: the Lamentation and the Entombment. The work is part of the collection at the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.

Legacy

While specific influences or direct artistic legacies of 'Beweinung Christi und seine Grablegung' are not highlighted in available information, its use of chiaroscuro contributes to the broader artistic tradition of employing light and shadow for narrative and emotional impact in religious art.