Dead Christ

Roman
18th century, Patinated terracotta

This sculpture shows the traditional representation of the dead Christ, stretched out on the unfolded shroud and girded only by a loincloth. The beautiful anatomical rendering is evident above all in the definition of the limbs, which are skilfully modelled: the right hand is open to show the stigmata, while the other rests on the abdomen and the legs are slightly crossed according to a recurring pattern in this type of depiction, deriving from the 15th-century tradition of the Compianti and common throughout Italy, particularly in the Tuscan-Emilian area. The widespread use of this typology makes the attribution to a specific artist difficult, but it was most likely produced by an artist who had trained in Rome and was active in the late Baroque period.