Lamentation over the dead Christ

Signorelli's Lamentation, painted in 1502 in tempera on panel, shows Christ's body just taken down from the cross, laid on the ground and supported by the Virgin, who has fainted, while a woman kisses his hand and Mary Magdalene holds his legs. Around them gather pious women, John the Evangelist with his hands clasped in grief, and two men talking while they show the nails and the crown of thorns, symbols of the Passion. In the foreground lie a skull, a reminder of death at Calvary, and a hammer. Dramatic details, such as the trickle of blood running from the base of the cross, heighten the emotion. In the background, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection appear on either side of a townscape overlooking a lake. Tradition links the work to the death of Signorelli's son Antonio from plague, and says he drew the corpse for the painting, although this account comes from Vasari and should be read with caution. The painting is stylistically related to the frescoes of the San Brizio Chapel in Orvieto. Its rich decoration, with gilded robes, suited the tastes of local patrons. The predella, quicker in execution and probably by his assistants from his drawings, depicts Gethsemane, the Last Supper, the Arrest and the Flagellation.

Painter

Luca Signorelli

Date

1502

Medium

tempera, panel

Dimensions

270 × 240 cm

Museum

Diocesan Museum in Cortona, Cortona

Genre

religious art

Depicts

Jesus Christ, man

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