Something Beautiful

St Dominic, by Fra Angelico

Descent to Limbo

According to the Gospel of Nicodemus, after his death Christ descended into Limbo (or to Hell) to free the righteous who had died before his coming --

• Descent to Hell, 1308-11, by Duccio
• Descent into Limbo, c. 1320, by Pietro Lorenzetti
• Descent into Limbo, 1320-25, by Giotto


• Descent of Christ to Limbo, 1365-68, by Andrea da Firenze
• Christ in Limbo, 1440s, by Friedrich Pacher
• Descent into Limbo, c. 1445, by Master of the Osservanza
• Descent to Limbo, 1555, by Cristofano Gherardi

Three works by Durer --

• Harrowing of Hell, or Christ in Limbo, 1512, by Albrecht Durer (engraving)

• Christ in Limbo, 1510, by Albrecht Durer (woodcut); Christ in Limbo, 1511, by Albrecht Durer (woodcut)

And a related theme --

• Christ appears to his mother with the Redeemed of the Old Testament, c. 1500, by Juan de Flandes

Easter

Easter

Good Friday

For today --

• Crucifixion, 1370-77, by Andrea da Firenze

Pietàs

It's not always easy to decide whether a given painting should be called a Lamentation or a Pietà.   In general, a Lamentation has a group of at least five people surrounding the body of Christ, and the cross is very much in evidence.   In a Pietà, there are usually only one or two persons, and the cross is not visible.

Because of our familiarity with Michelangelo's early Pieta, we expect that only Mary will appear, holding the body of her dead Son --

• Pietà, 1505, by Giovanni Bellini

• Pietà, c. 1540, by Il Sodoma

And the most famous Pietà in the world, by Michelangelo (marble)

Sometimes, however, there are other, or additional, figures surrounding the body --

• Small Circular Pietà, c. 1390, by an unknown French master  (Mary plus four others)

• Pietà, c. 1470, by Carlo Crivelli (two angels)

• Pietà, 1508, by Lorenzo Lotto  (Mary plus two others and one angel)

• Pietà, 1520s, by Moretto da Brescia (Mary plus two others)

• Pietà, c. 1533, by Il Sodoma (Mary plus five others)

• Pietà, c. 1575, by El Greco (Mary plus two others)

• Pietà, 1599-1600, by Annibale Caracci (Mary plus two angels)

Although this work is called a Pieta, it is probably better characterized as a Lamentation due to the number of persons portrayed, the lack of emphasis on Christ's body, and the prominence of the cross --

• Pietà, c. 1365, by Giottino

Lamentations

Some of these are called depositions, but are actually lamentations, as you will be able to see --

• The Lamentation, c. 1450, by Petrus Christus

• The Deposition, ca. 1490, by a Follower of Rogier van der Weyden. 

• Deposition, by Gerard David (see also Lamentation. , 1515-23, by Gerard David, at the National Gallery, London)

• The Lamentation, 1593, Scipione Pulzone (Il Gaetano)   

I'm not sure if these works are, strictly speaking, lamentations but they are certainly very similar: 

• Mourning over the Dead Christ, c. 1510-17, attributed to Francesco Francia

• The Dead Christ Mourned (The Three Maries), c. 1604, by Annibale Carracci

Depositions

In keeping with this week's announced theme, here are some excellent paintings of the Deposition from the Cross. 

• Deposition, 1308-11, by Duccio. 

• Deposition, c. 1435, by Rogier van der Weyden

• Deposition from the Cross, c. 1506, by Filippino Lippi. 

• Deposition from the Cross, 1510-13, by Il Sodoma.

• Deposition, 1510-20, by Jan (Mabuse) Gossaert. 

 

Depositions, Pietàs, Lamentations

There are three "genres" of post-Crucifixion paintings that are very similar and easily confused:  depositions, pietàs and lamentations.  They depict scenes in chronological order as follows:

• A "Deposition," sometimes called a "Descent from the cross," shows Christ's body being taken down from the cross after his death. 

• A "Pietà" shows the Virgin cradling Christ's body.  Many Pietàs feature only the Virgin, some also show St. John and St. Mary Magdelene.   

• A "Lamentation" shows Mary and Christ's followers around his lifeless body on the ground, often as it is being wrapped in a shroud.  A lamentation always include the Virgin among the mourners and often includes St. John and St. Mary Magdalene, the latter often at  the feet of Christ.

My hope is to post links this week to some of the most beautiful examples of each of these. 

Here's a beginning -- Lamentation, ca. 1500 (?), by Gerard David.

 

The Alba Madonna

The Alba Madonna, ca. 1510, by Raphael.   

Don't miss the detail images -- like this one.