Christ Taken Down from the Cross

late 15th - early 16th century

North Italian 15th or 16th Century

Associated Names
North Italian 15th Century

Sculptor

North Italian 16th Century

Sculptor

The sculpture depicts a group of figures removing a body from a cross. The central figure is being taken down with the help of two ladders, one person supporting from above and another from the side. Surrounding the scene are other individuals standing, kneeling, or sitting. The foreground shows rocky terrain and vegetation, while the background includes hills, clouds, and structures resembling buildings or tombs. The bronze sculpture has a dark brown color, highlighting details of the figures and the landscape. The composition gives a three-dimensional effect, creating depth in the scene of the descent from the cross.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze//Medium brown patina

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (without loop): 6.9 x 5.1 cm (2 11/16 x 2 in.) gross weight: 59 gr

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.368

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Gustave Dreyfus [1837-1914], Paris; his estate; purchased 1930 by (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London and New York); purchased 1945 by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York; gift 1957 to NGA.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1931

  • Ricci, Seymour de. The Gustave Dreyfus Collection. Reliefs and Plaquettes. Oxford, 1931. vol.II, 244.

1951

  • Renaissance Bronzes: Statuettes, Reliefs and Plaquettes, Medals and Coins from the Kress Collection. Introduction by Perry B. Cott. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1951: 145, as Descent from the Cross, Paduan 15th Century.

1965

  • Pope-Hennessy, John W. Renaissance Bronzes from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: Reliefs, Plaquettes, Statuettes, Utensils and Mortars. London, 1965: no. 342.

1983

  • Wilson, Carolyn C. Renaissance Small Bronze Sculpture and Associated Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Art. Washington, 1983: 79, no. 17.

2011

  • Rossi, Francesco. La collezione Mario Scaglia: placchette. 3 vols. Bergamo, 2011: 1:106, under Prototipo, M.6, under Storia critica.

2013

  • Leino, Marika. Fashion, Devotion and Contemplation: The Status and Functions of Italian Renaissance Plaquettes. Oxford, 2013: 94 fig. 60, 95.

Inscriptions

on reverse: IM MOS; on reverse monogram: MR

Wikidata ID

Q63814786

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