The Deposition
ca. 1640–50
Medium
Alabaster
Dimensions
Overall: 12 13/16 × 10 1/8 in. (32.5 × 25.7 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture
German, Schwäbisch Hall
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, 2000 Benefit Fund, 2000
Accession Number
2000.283
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the poignant world of *The Deposition*, a masterful alabaster sculpture by German artist Leonhard Kern from Schwäbisch Hall, created around 1640–50. This intimate work, measuring just over 12 inches tall, captures the biblical moment of Christ's descent from the Cross, surrounded by grieving men, women, and ethereal angels. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection, it exemplifies the emotional depth of Baroque religious art, where every carved figure conveys sorrow and reverence. Kern, a leading sculptor of his time in southern Ger...
About the Artist
Leonhard Kern · 1588–1662
Leonhard Kern (1588–1662), born in Forchtenberg as the fourth son of stonemason Michael Kern the Elder, emerged from a family of masons steeped in architectural sculpture. After attending the Gymnasium in Öhringen, he apprenticed from 1603 to 1609 with his older brother, the sculptor Michael Kern (1580–1649), in Würzburg, mastering stone carving in the family workshop. In 1609, Kern embarked on fo...