The "Spitzer Cross"
Medium
copper: gilded, engraved, stippled; champlevé enamel; wood backing (modern)
Dimensions
67.4 × 41.9 × 0.2 cm
Classification
Enamel
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of J. H. Wade
Accession Number
1923.1051
Tags
About this artwork
This fine enameled cross is named the "Spitzer Cross" after the Viennese art dealer and collector Baron Frédéric Spitzer, who owned it in the 19th century. It has justly been hailed as the finest Limoges enameled cross to survive. The work’s coloration exemplifies its refined craftsmanship. Rendered in white enamel, with fine lines defining the rib cage, abdomen, and muscles, Christ’s body contrasts strikingly with the vibrant green, blue, and yellow of his halo, loincloth, and the cross.
About the Artist
Master of the Royal Plantagenet Workshop (French)
Georges Hugnet (1906–1974) was a multifaceted French artist, poet, writer, and critic whose innovative collages and graphic works bridged Dada and Surrealism. Born in Paris on July 11, 1906, he spent much of his early childhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, returning to France around 1913. His early life and artistic training remain sparsely documented, with no records of formal art school attendanc...