Artwork
The dead Christ venerated by Pius V

The dead Christ venerated by Pius V is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Parrasio Micheli. It dates from 1572 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows the lifeless body of Christ being adored by Pope Pius V, a scene that combines realistic corpse imagery with traditional symbols of martyrdom and sacrifice. The composition includes a skull, a hammer, and a chalice, each referring to death, the Passion, and the Eucharist, while an angelic figure underscores heavenly intercession. According to the work’s provenance, these elements convey the doctrine of the veneration of the dead and the belief in Christ’s sacrificial presence in the liturgy.
The piece was created in 1572 on copper and is housed in the Museo del Prado, where it is identified as a religious artwork focused on the Corpse of Christ and the papal figure Pius V.
Technique & Style
The intimate scale and durable support facilitate meticulous detailing, emphasizing the primary subjects of the veneration of the dead and the corpse of Christ.
Parrasio Micheli executed The dead Christ venerated by Pius V in oil paint on a copper support, a medium that allows for precise handling and a smooth, enamel-like surface. The copper panel measures 42 by 30 centimeters. As a religious work, the composition is densely populated with symbolic objects, formally depicting a skull, a hammer, and a chalice alongside the central figures of Jesus Christ, Pope Pius V, and an angel.
The intimate scale and durable support facilitate meticulous detailing, emphasizing the primary subjects of the veneration of the dead and the corpse of Christ.
History & Provenance
The painting titled The dead Christ venerated by Pius V was created in 1572 by the artist Parrasio Micheli. Executed in oil paint on a copper support, the work measures 42 cm in height and 30 cm in width. The piece depicts a religious scene featuring Jesus Christ, Pope Pius V, and an angel, alongside symbolic objects such as a skull, hammer, and chalice.
Currently, the artwork is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it remains part of the museum's holdings of religious art.
The painting titled The dead Christ venerated by Pius V by Parrasio Micheli, dated 1572, is housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. It is executed on copper and measures 42 cm by 30 cm. The work belongs to the museum’s collection of religious paintings, though no specific inventory number is recorded in the consulted documentation. The sources do not mention any documented exhibition of the piece outside the museum’s permanent displays, so its public showing history is not detailed in the available records.
Overview
Parrasio Micheli completed The dead Christ venerated by Pius V in 1572, a religious painting executed on a copper support. This work portrays the deceased figure of Jesus Christ, attended by Pope Pius V and several angels. Currently, the painting is part of the collection at the Museo del Prado, where it offers insight into late 16th-century devotional art.
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