Benjamin Spenser (?)

Thomas Cross

Associated Names
Thomas Cross

Artist, English, active c. 1644/1682

The image displays a man in a frontal seated position. He has a prominent nose, pronounced lips, and a small beard. His hair is shoulder-length, wavy, and parted in the center. He wears a dark garment with a white collar and extended cuffs. In his left hand, he holds a human skull on a table. His right hand is raised in a gesture. The background includes a curtain on the left and a cloud on the right with three descending light beams. The frame has inscriptions like "LIGNO CHRISTI FIXUS," "Sursum," and "Deorsum."

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    engraving

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    plate: 22.6 × 15.5 cm (8 7/8 × 6 1/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1951.11.585

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

W. B. Dukes [d. 1942], London, (L.2757a); (Sotheby, London, sale July 8, 1942, no. 112); Hermann Marx [d. 1948], Surrey, (L.2816a); (Sotheby, London, sale May 24, 1948, no. 165); Lessing J. Rosenwald [1891 - 1979], Philadelphia, (L.1932d); gift to NGA, 1951.

Associated Names

Wikidata ID

Q65367472

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