Artwork
Lamentation of Christ
Lamentation of Christ is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Stradanus. It dates from 1564 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition focuses entirely on this specific biblical event, serving as a devotional image intended to evoke empathy and reflection on the Passion.
Created in 1564 by Stradanus, this oil painting on panel illustrates the Lamentation of Christ, a central theme in religious art. The work's primary subject is Jesus Christ, depicted following his crucifixion in a scene of mourning. As a piece of religious genre painting, it visually represents the grief surrounding the death of the central figure of Christianity.
The composition focuses entirely on this specific biblical event, serving as a devotional image intended to evoke empathy and reflection on the Passion.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1564, this religious painting by Stradanus utilizes oil paint applied to a wooden panel support. The work is characterized by its substantial scale, measuring 250.4 cm in height and 195.4 cm in width. As a depiction of the Lamentation of Christ, the piece employs the material qualities of oil on panel to render the central figure of Jesus Christ within a devotional context.
The handling of the medium and the choice of a rigid support are consistent with mid-sixteenth-century practices for large-format altar pieces or significant religious commissions.
History & Provenance
The painting known as Lamentation of Christ was created in 1564 by the artist Stradanus, also identified as Jan van der Straet. Executed in oil paint on a panel, the work measures 250.4 cm in height and 195.4 cm in width. The piece depicts the biblical scene of the Lamentation of Christ, falling within the genre of religious art.
Currently, the artwork is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is located at the Alte Pinakothek.
Context
Stradanus painted Lamentation of Christ in 1564 for the Bavarian State Painting Collections, now housed in the Alte Pinakothek. The work depicts the biblical scene of the Virgin Mary mourning the dead Christ, reflecting Counter-Reformation emphasis on emotional piety. Its composition draws from Northern Renaissance traditions while incorporating Italianate spatial depth, situating it within Stradanus's broader oeuvre of religious imagery.
Scholarship notes its significance in the transition toward naturalistic figuration in late 16th-century European art. The painting measures 250.4 cm by 195.4 cm, as recorded in the Alte Pinakothek's catalog. It remains a key example of Stradanus's contribution to Counter-Reformation visual culture and his synthesis of Northern and Italian artistic influences.
Overview
Lamentation of Christ is a 1564 oil painting by Johannes Stradanus, a Flemish artist active in Florence. The work is held in the Alte Pinakothek.
Artist & collection
Artist
Johannes Stradanus (Dutch Jan van der Straet or Italian Giovanni Stradano; 1523 – 2 November 1605) was a Flemish artist active mainly in 16th-century Florence, Italy.
