Lamentation over Christ
Follower of Anthony van Dyck (Antwerp 1599 - London 1641)
Late 17th-early 18th century
Oil on canvas (64 x 51 cm - In frame 77 x 65 cm.)
Work Details (click HERE)
This is a very interesting work, a painting by a Flemish artist that reinterprets the famous Lamentation over Christ created by Anthony van Dyck (Antwerp 1599 - London 1641) between 1628 and 1629 for the high altar of the Begijnhof church in Antwerp, now housed in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (img.1 - https://rkd.nl/en/explore/images/293416).
The canvas was later replicated in a reduced version, now at the Prado Museum (img.2 - oil on canvas, 114 x 100 cm; inv./cat. no. 1475).
The scene, which depicts one of the most dramatic and emotional moments of Christ's Passion, displays the typical style of the great Flemish artist: Christ lies extended, his body vigorous and sculptural, while Mary Magdalene weeps over him, kissing his hand, and the Virgin Mary, at his side, looks despairingly towards the sky; Saint John finally arrives to join this chorus of grief.
The iconography of our Lamentation, as well as Van Dyck's entire series, became an emblematic work of this poetic style. The focal point of the composition is the wounded hand, kissed by Mary Magdalene, and the theme of the work is meditation on Christ's passion, also evoked by the instruments of torture placed in the foreground.
Regarding the attribution of the proposed canvas, the author is to be found among the followers of the great master, active at a later time than the creation of the large altarpiece, to satisfy a patron who wished to own their own version.
Despite this clearly Italianizing style, Van Dyck adopted many of the pictorial schemes of his master Rubens in his compositions, reflecting the intense formative influence and close collaboration between the two artists in the early years of his career.
In this painting, therefore, we can perceive all this combination of influences: we can therefore read, through a high-level figurative language, the suggestions of Italian art, and in particular the Venetian compositions of Titian, Tintoretto, and Correggio, as well as the figurative language of the Bolognese school of the Carracci, Guercino, and Guido Reni.
Throughout his artistic career, Van Dyck treated the theme of the Lamentation over Christ on various occasions, starting around 1617 until 1636, then taken up by his workshop and by numerous followers; we illustrate some examples similar to our version:
- Van Dyck, Lamentation, Museum of Fine Arts (Antwerp), oil on canvas, 303 x 225 cm. - ** img.1
- Van Dyck, Lamentation, Museo Nacional del Prado (https://www.museodelprado.es/coleccion/obra-de-arte/la-piedad/f89676d9-34cc-46d9-b232-571faf9894ba) - img.2
- Van Dyck (follower), Lamentation, Christie's (New York) 2004-06-17 (https://rkd.nl/en/explore/images/117183) - img.3
- Van Dyck, Lamentation, Utrecht, Museum Catharijneconvent (https://rkd.nl/en/explore/images/61258) - img.4
- Van Dyck (follower), Lamentation, Maastricht, Bonnefantenmuseum, (after Anthony van Dyck) (https://rkd.nl/images/35976) - img.5
- Van Dyck (follower), Lamentation, Museo Galleria Rizzi Genova, (https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/HistoricOrArtisticProperty/0700099636) - img.6
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The work is sold with a pleasant frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and guarantee.
We handle and organize the transport of purchased works, both within Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. It is also possible to view the painting at the Riva del Garda gallery; we will be happy to welcome you to show you our collection of works.
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