Study for the Figure of Christ in a Deposition
late 16th–early 17th century
Medium
Red chalk, over traces of an illegible sketch in black chalk.
Dimensions
10 5/8 x 6 1/2 in. (27 x 16.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.269
Tags
Art Historical Context
Ventura Salimbeni, a Sienese artist active during the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods (late 16th–early 17th century), created this delicate *Study for the Figure of in a Deposition*. As a preparatory drawing, it captures the limp, poignant form of Christ being lowered from the cross—a dramatic biblical scene central to Counter-Reformation art, emphasizing human suffering and divine pathos to inspire devotion. Rendered in red chalk over faint traces of black chalk on a modest 10 5/8 x 6 1/2 in. sheet, the work showcases Salimbeni's mastery of the male nude. Red chalk, prized for its...
About the Artist
Ventura Salimbeni · 1568–1613
Comment on works: Religious