Italian, Umbria
Man of Sorrows, about 1500
Polychromed and gilded terracotta, 36.2 x 26 x 18 cm (14 1/4 x 10 1/4 x 7 1/16 in.)
A terracotta plaque depicts the carved figure of Christ. The plaque is rectangular and is oriented vertically. It is a dark shade of brown and has very few gilded spots. Christ sits on the edge of a container, with his legs inside, facing us. His head is tipped to his right and turned ever so slightly to a semi-profile view. His hands crossed in front, wearing a loin cloth and a crown of thorns. A scar is visible on the right side of his chest and the center of his left hand. His anatomy is detailed and realistic, displaying a thin, but strong and muscular body. His face is framed by long wavy hair draping his shoulders and by a short beard which doesn’t completely hide his strong jaw. His eyes are closed and pointed downward, his nose is straight and moderately prominent, and his mouth, slightly agape, appears breathing heavily. Behind Christ’s head, and larger than it, there is a disk-like halo. Further behind, a cross is carved on the panel. The letters “INRI” appear at the top of the cross. A hooked whip hangs on a nail at each end of the horizontal bar of the cross. There is an upside-down inscription on the frame surrounding the terracotta plaque.
Long Gallery
Commentary
This plaque depicts Christ as the Man of Sorrows, a devotional image that displays in condensed form elements of Christ’s Passion: the cross, tomb, wounds, and instruments of torture. Rendered in humble clay and painted a plain dark color, such a severe work may relate to restrictions on excess advocated by the 15th-century Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola.